Final answer:
The ARPANET, the ancestor of the modern Internet, was created by the U.S. Department of Defense for secure military communication. It evolved to include research universities and led to the development of standardized communication protocols and the eventual creation of the World Wide Web.
Step-by-step explanation:
The initial purpose of creating the ARPANET, which was the precursor to the modern Internet, was primarily for military communication. This early network was a project started by the U.S. Department of Defense, specifically by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), to ensure reliable and secure communications during the Cold War era. It aimed at linking government facilities and research universities to facilitate the sharing of information and resources essential for the Department of Defense.
The ARPANET allowed for developments in technology that later became fundamental to the Internet we use today. It was a network dedicated to official communications, with personal and commercial use being limited or forbidden. Over time, protocols became standardized, and by the end of the 1980s, it had evolved into what we now know as the Internet. This technological advancement eventually led to the creation of the World Wide Web, hypertext web pages, and the expansion of commercial internet platforms.