The 1987 NSFNET solicitation specified implementing a nationwide T1 backbone to address the chronic congestion on the 56 kbps NSFNET and ARPANET, and to extend the new backbone’s reach to include the emerging regional networks. The T1 NSFNET backbone went online in July 1988 and immediately experienced a traffic surge with traffic increasing at the rate of 20 percent per month. This early onrush of traffic presaged the many challenges the Merit/IBM/MCI partnership team faced and dealt with to ensure a quality backbone service. The team took innovative steps in technical and organizational areas, pioneering new router technology and utilizing telephone company circuit technology in unanticipated ways. From the Series:NSFNET: The Partnership That Changed the World