Internet Standard

What Does Internet Standard Mean?

An internet standard (STD) is a specification that has been approved by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Such standard helps to promote a consistent and universal use of the internet worldwide.

Techopedia Explains Internet Standard

Prior to approval, the proposed internet standard goes through a series of stages called a “standards track.” The standard first starts as a draft, which may evolve into an RFC (Request for Comments). If the IETF approves the RFC, then it becomes a standard.

RFCs and proposed internet standards cover a lot of ground. From standards for handling technical TCP/IP processes to standards for the display of various types of media, the IETF weighs in on a large number of these standards as they make their way toward adoption.

A list of proposed standards can be found at RFC-editor.org.

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Margaret Rouse

Technology Specialist

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.

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