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Tommy Healy
Mrs. DeBock
March 9th, 2015
Internet Infrastructure
Of all the constructs in human history none stand to be more grand, or glorious, than the
Internet. Heralded forth by combined research throughout the world, this system of global
exchange has revolutionized modern society. So how then can it be that even in the United
States, people remain without proper connection? Broadband, high-speed internet access, is seen
by many a common and necessary tool, yet more than 119 million citizens lack said service
(Brodkin) Thus, it is proposed that action be taken, to ensure the expansion of Internet quality
throughout the United States.
Firstly, a look at history A humble beginning, if ever could be called one, the idea of a
world-wide network was first mentioned, and conceived by J.C.R Licklider of MIT. His vision,
cleverly titled Galaxy Net called for world-wide communication by interlocking computers via
private and public networks ("Brief History of The Internet"). This goal, however, at the time
was unachievable, and would of remained so were it not for a breakthrough experiment held in
Massachusetts. Using phone lines, researchers at DARPA established the first land-line network;
connecting two computers, as one ("Brief History of The Internet"). Such represented a quantum
leap in networking technology
Tis the basis of our modern internet, this idea of connection. For essentially, the internet is
but a collection of wires constantly transmitting information, all tied and bound together... Much

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like the experiment held all those years ago, the modern internet relies on the simple basis that
two computers can act as one, and transmit between each over via protocol. However, unlike
J.C.Rs fantasy, this world is not connected on a single network; rather is it the combination of
numerous networks, greater than the sum of its parts. The World Wide Web, for example, is a
single part of the larger Internet a public collection of files accessible via HTTP (Hyper Text
Transfer Protocol) (Toothman). Essentially, when one searches on the web they are actually
browsing through millions of files / text documents on different computers throughout the world.
The Internet itself, however, does not rely upon nor need the World Wide Web to operate. In fact,
Email is a perfect example of the Internet in use, without the public WWW (Toothman). HTTP,
and the systems that permit the Webs existence, are actually more a mechanism to navigate the
network, and not the network itself.
Access to the Internet begins within the household. Computers connect together at a router,
which is subsequently connected to a modem; this, is your private network. That network is then
connected to a LAN (Local Area Network), which connects all installations in the local region
(Tyson). Your LAN, receives service from an ISP (Internet Service Provider) whom routes the
LAN, as part of its larger network, connecting it to all other constructs within its dominion.
Then, this ISP connects to other ISPs via Network Access Points (NAPs) (Tyson).
This simple set up allows mass communication throughout the world, at rates
unfathomable However, such requires immense architecture to maintain. Energy alone, poses a
major dilemma. It is estimated that the Internet consumes over 406 terawatts of electricity per
year, accounting for nearly 2% of the total world energy consumption (Hudson). In 2011,
research showed that nearly 1.8 trillion gigabytes of information have been created / replicated,
and that this number nearly doubles, on a biyearly basis (Hudson) The end result? Constant

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demand for expanded service, additional storage, everything that fuels the informational world.
In estimate, the Internet costs humanity about 100 200 billion dollars, per annual (Price).
But with continued expansion, with new data centers, new lines and connections, new
everything, comes decreased service quality and demand for faster connection. If the country is
to keep up with the Internets demand, it will need to expand its cable service The problem?
U.S. cable, is in a state of equilibrium, and has been for nearly a decade. Ranked #19, in the
world for Internet Quality, this state has fallen clearly behind its foreign brothers (Kim). In
general, the United States hosts an average download speed of 9,643 KB per second, an upload
speed of 2,161 KB, latency of 44 MS, and penetration (Percentage of territory with Internet
Access) of 75% (Kim). South Korea, ranked first in the world for its connection quality, bears a
ludicrously larger statistic: download speed of 33,543 KB per second, upload speed of 16,897
KB, latency of 47 MS, and 100% penetration (Kim).
The United States have fallen vastly behind the rest of the world in terms of Internet Service.
Which is especially disconcerting when we are one of its most avid users Nearly 87% of the
adult population uses the Internet daily (Americans use the Internet more than ever, but
adoption is unequal).
Such has become, an issue of our time, that to keep up with foreign powers, we must expand.
To do so, will require resources, and reinforcement, but such is the requirement of our evolving
society. In the name, of all that has been bestowed unto us, and in competition with foreign
industry, The United States must expand its Internet access.

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Works Cited
"Americans Use Internet More than Ever, but Adoption Remains Unequal." Al Jazeera America.
Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
"Brief History of The Internet." Internet Society. Internet Society. Web. 9 Mar. 2015.
Brodkin, Jon. "119 Million Americans Lack Broadband Internet, FCC Reports."Arstechnica.
Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
Hudson, Gavin. "How Much Energy Does the Internet Use?" CleanTechnica. 1 June 2012. Web.
9 Mar. 2015.
Kim, Hannah. "18 Countries That Have Stronger, Better, Faster Internet Than America."Business
Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 21 Oct. 2010. Web. 9 Mar. 2015.
Price, Greg. "How Much Does The Internet Cost To Run?" Forbes. Forbes Magazine. Web. 9
Mar. 2015.
Toothman, Jessika. "Internet vs. World Wide Web - HowStuffWorks." HowStuffWorks. Web. 10
Mar. 2015.
Tyson, Jeff. "How Internet Infrastructure Works - HowStuffWorks." HowStuffWorks. Web. 6 Mar.
2015