So just how does the Internet work? Is it a series of tubes carrying messages everywhere? Is it a dump truck with a specific capacity?

We know, like all things computer, that it has two parts — software and hardware. The software comprises the protocols installed on all our computers, all of the content of the Web and the software on all the branch points of the Web.

The hardware is made up of all the miles of cables, the millions of servers and all of the computers we use to communicate across the network.

Properly maintained and working together, the two components give us the communication phenomenon of the Internet.

We’ve lately seen lots of things in the news about the Internet. Remember when Egypt shut down its infrastructure yet preserved through-traffic between Europe and Asia? That was clearly just a software manipulation —and not an effective one at that.

Or how about that time when that 75-year-old Armenian scrap-metal collector killed the Internet through the Caucasus Mountains with a shovel? Ironically, his gaffe did affect the through-traffic of Armenia, proving him far more effective than the Egyptian junta.

Or when the most visited websites all chose to shut down as a protest against legislation that would have actually shut them down?

Or when hackers have attracted the attention of the media for their exploits, sometimes by robbing banks and donating the cash to charity, and other times by stealing massive amounts of incriminating documents and giving them to journalists worldwide?

Indeed, it has been a very interesting few years for the Web.

Plus, there is the face of the machine we consumers are familiar with: the various Internet service providers (ISPs) that actually maintain the infrastructure. At this point, the Internet is a product of many different private companies that work to increase its availability and speed for end users, because the end users pay for the services.

In cities where the bones of these networks link up, the various companies involved do something interesting that seems counter-intuitive for competing players. Through a process known as “peering,” companies let one another use their networks free of charge and for mutual benefit. As a result, the Internet becomes more robust and users get access to more content. This growth is shocking the world and is frequently referred to as “the spectrum deficit” in headlines.

Europe is making great strides in extending the availability of service to the far corners and fast-moving places of the world. Recently, wireless routers were installed on the high-speed trains criss-crossing the continent. The routers connect to satellites in orbit, providing passengers with high-speed, wireless Internet connections while they travel along at 300 kilometers an hour. This accomplishment highlights a spirit of cooperation between the IT and transportation sectors of the economy.

Also across the pond, European nations lead America in broadband subscriptions per capita, thanks to something called the Digital Agenda of the European Commission’s Information Society. European leaders appreciate their Internet and are leading the show in innovation for network technology.

America has a few aces up its sleeve, though. Google, Kan., which is actually known as Topeka, is the site of a small-scale experiment in fiber-optic-network infrastructure on a neighborhood scale. At a cost of up to $8,000 per home, Google will provide 1 Gbps speed at competitive rates to residents.

That’s more than 100 times faster than the average American’s service and sets the stage for the next generation of the Internet, brought to you by the Internet2 consortium. More than 300 institutions operate a backbone providing a minimum of 100 Gbps and accommodating recent business dealings with Level 3 Communications based out of Europe. At this rate, we should see a commercialized form of fiber-optic Internet services with global connectivity — a reinvention of the Web.

The bottom line is that the Internet is a dynamic thing, part private industry and part higher-education pet project. But as we stress the system and drag it through its growth phases, we can expect better and better things from it.

Source:http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/special-sections/home-loggia/computer-america-internets-exponential-growth-amazing-2210360.html