Research Internetworking is how the Internet began. U.S. researchers at different universities and military organizations were trying to find a way to share information; the technology they developed forms the foundation of today's commercial Internet.

As the Internet moved into the public domain, ongoing support for research over networks continued in a non-competitive environment. Research network organizations started to spring up in more progressive countries around the world, bringing together public and private sector partners. In Canada, BCNET was established in 1986 as a provincial regional advanced network and is one of the 10 provincial networks that connect to CANARIE's national advanced network.

The original CANARIE network, CA*net, was created in 1990 with support from the National Research Council. Its purpose was to provide Internet connectivity between universities and research organizations in Canada, with connections to similar networks in other countries. That initiative and the organizations that took part in it pioneered the Internet in Canada.

Research networks today, like the original Internet, continue to function as next-generation test beds, focused on the emerging needs of researchers and innovators.