Comments on: Internet Infrastructure

Question: Internet Infrastructure

COBRA! — Wed, 31 Mar 2004 09:06:12 -0800

Internet infrastructure: how does the physical infrastructure of the internet cross oceans? Is all of the data transmitted by communications satellites, or are there big-ass intercontinental cables running across the ocean floor? And if there are big-ass intercontinental cables, how are they maintained?

(sorry if this is a crushingly stupid question, or if it's easily Googlable... I've tried my hand at Google, but may not have been asking the right questions.)

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Wed, 31 Mar 2004 09:09:58 -0800

Bigass cables. If you search for "Neil Stephenson" in WiReD you should be able to find a good article on it all; he took a junket 'round the world while writing Cryptonomicron researching it.

By: whatzit

whatzit — Wed, 31 Mar 2004 09:16:44 -0800

This is the classic article fff is refering to. It's really worth reading, and a page turner, despite the dry technical matters. (A faster read than some of Stephenson's books, even).

By: whatzit

whatzit — Wed, 31 Mar 2004 09:17:35 -0800

Rather, potentially dry technical matters.

By: TedW

TedW — Wed, 31 Mar 2004 09:34:15 -0800

While reading about transoceanic cables, don't forget the story of the Great Eastern.

By: Danelope

Danelope — Wed, 31 Mar 2004 09:36:37 -0800

Even with a (usually) redundant system, damage to transoceanic cables results in serious consequences for the structure of the Internet.

By: kaibutsu

kaibutsu — Wed, 31 Mar 2004 10:21:22 -0800

potentially dry my ass! These here are UNDERWATER cables!

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Wed, 31 Mar 2004 14:15:23 -0800

FWIW -- at the base stations in Antarctica, they have satellite and only satellite.

By: COBRA!

COBRA! — Wed, 31 Mar 2004 14:17:43 -0800

That Wired article pretty excellent. Thanks, everybody.

By: X-00

X-00 — Thu, 01 Apr 2004 15:30:20 -0800

If you're interested in a specfic example do a google search on the "Southern Cross Cable".