What is the Internet, really? - Andrew Blum

When a squirrel chewed through a cable and knocked him offline, journalist Andrew Blum started wondering what the Internet was really made of. So he set out to go see it -- the underwater cables, secret switches and other physical bits that make up the net.

Talk by Andrew Blum.

[Wilvin]

The answer is what you should expect. The underwater cable lines are significantly cheaper (to build and maintain), more reliable, and more efficient for transmitting data. If you've ever seen video communication with the ISS you will notice a delay of a few seconds. With landlines, I can video chat with some in Spain seemingly instantaneously. The only benefit of using satellites would be the range.

[TheDchistensen]

I find it extremely sad that people have no idea what the internet, let alone a computer, actually is. :/

[YR]

Video ended prematurely, must be the internet's problem.

[addictedcaffeine]

wheres the rest it cut in mid sentence.

[yyhaoyue]

<3 the internet, can't live with out it !!!!

[addictedcaffeine]

lol satellites would cost way too much ... like a billion £ just to build it and the same again to send it into space .

[jonathankorner]

hey the CEO of the internet should fix that XD

[RishabhChandra_getneo]

ted-ed, i think you have lost it....