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Email vs. the Internet: What’s the Difference?

The Internet is the wider network system; email is one service it supports. Here’s how their roles differ and how early network email began.
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The Internet is the broad network system that connects devices and supports many services. Email is one messaging service that can use the Internet. Put simply: the Internet is the infrastructure; email is one thing you can do with it.

What is the difference between email and the Internet?

Email and the Internet are related, but they are not the same thing. The Internet is a global system of interconnected networks, addressing and communication protocols, and services. Email is an application or service for sending and receiving electronic messages over networking infrastructure.

Aspect Email Internet
What it is An electronic messaging service or application A global interconnected network system, its protocols, and supporting services
Its role Lets people exchange messages Provides infrastructure and protocols that support email and many other services
What it involves User-facing mail applications and behind-the-scenes message-transfer components Interconnected networks, IP addressing, communication protocols, and higher-level services
Scope One form of communication A broader system for communication and access to information

The Internet Society’s history describes the Internet as general-purpose infrastructure, and the Federal Networking Council’s definition, adopted in 1995, describes a global information system with unique IP addressing, support for TCP/IP or compatible protocols, and higher-level services. Internet Society: A Brief History of the Internet

Is email the same as the Internet?

No. Email is one service that can run over the Internet, not another name for the whole Internet. The Internet also supports services such as the Web and many other ways to communicate or access information. RFC 1941 notes that email and the Web are services that can be accessed through different technologies. RFC 1941: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the Internet

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How does email use the Internet?

Email has both a user-facing side and a behind-the-scenes delivery side. A mail application lets a person compose, read, and manage messages. Separate mail transfer agents move messages through the mail system toward their destinations. These are distinct functions within Internet mail architecture; the mail application is not the Internet itself. RFC 5598: Internet Mail Architecture

Did email come before the Internet?

Early networked email came before the modern public Internet, but it did not precede all computer networking. The Internet Society’s history says that Ray Tomlinson wrote basic software to send and read email on ARPANET in March 1972; Larry Roberts expanded its utility later that year. ARPANET was an earlier network, and email became one of its important applications as broader Internet infrastructure continued to develop. Internet Society: A Brief History of the Internet

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Can you use the Internet for things other than email?

Yes. Email is only one of the services the Internet can support. The Web is another familiar example, and the Internet’s general-purpose design allows different services to use its underlying network and protocols. The Internet is therefore not a single website, email program, or company’s product.

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