The NSF didn't use the term "backbone," but it did use the term NSP - Network Service Provider. The NSF definition for NSP was - connect to hubs called priority Network Access Points, - route and carry traffic to or from any research and education location, and - make the routes available to a routing arbiter The implementation wasn't as clean as the definition. -- Sean Donelan, Data Research Associates, Inc, St. Louis, MO Affiliation given for identification not representation