Internet backbone

The high-capacity links and routers that carry internet traffic between major networks, cities, and countries. It connects regional and access networks through interconnected providers and exchange points.

Border Gateway Protocol: The routing protocol that exchanges reachability information between independently administered internet networks. It lets backbone operators advertise routes and choose paths across one another’s networks.
Optical fiber: A thin glass or plastic strand that guides light and carries data over distance. Backbone links use fiber strands to carry large volumes of data.
ARPANET: A U.S. research network launched in 1969 that pioneered packet switching and linked early computer sites. ARPANET was an influential precursor, though it was not the modern internet backbone.
Content delivery network: A distributed system of servers that delivers content from locations near users. CDNs reduce long-distance backbone traffic by serving popular content closer to its audience.
Network neutrality: The principle that internet service providers should treat online data without unjustified discrimination. Backbone interconnection and traffic management can affect how providers deliver competing services.
Autonomous system: A collection of internet routing prefixes administered under a common routing policy. Backbone networks are commonly organized and identified as autonomous systems.
Dense wavelength-division multiplexing: A technique that sends multiple data channels at different light wavelengths through one optical fiber. It multiplies the capacity available on backbone fiber without laying a separate fiber for every channel.
NSFNET: A U.S. academic network that expanded during the 1980s and became a major internet backbone. Its high-speed national links helped connect regional research networks before commercial backbones took over.
Cloud computing: On-demand access to computing resources delivered over networks, usually from remote data centers. Cloud services depend on backbone links connecting data centers, providers, and customers.
Digital divide: The unequal access to digital technologies and the skills or resources needed to use them. Backbone availability and cost influence whether regions can obtain affordable, high-quality connectivity.

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