 On January 1, 1983, known as flag day, TCP/IP protocols became the standard for the ARPANET, replacing the earlier NCP protocol.After the ARPANET had been up and running for several years, ARPA looked for another agency to hand off the network to; ARPA's primary mission was funding cutting edge research and development, not running a communications utility.Eventually, in July 1975, the network had been turned over to the Defense Communications Agency, also part of the Department of Defense.