The National Science Foundation's (NSF) plans for ensuring that the U.S. research and education (R&E) communities will continue to be able to interact over the Internet with colleagues and resources abroad are discussed. NSF has recently transitioned from the custom-provided NSFNET Backbone national transit service for mid-level networks to service provision by several interconnected general purpose ("commercial") Internet service providers. It is anticipated that the plan for international services will be to "ratchet" up the capacity of transoceanic links well beyond the current TI/El levels, while minimizing NSF's role in direct service provision, much as NSF has done in the case of domestic service. In addition, NSF's role in facilitating the Internet connectivity of other countries in support of the R&E communities is likely to continue, and demonstration projects in advanced international-scale telecommunications technologies may also be supported.