How Does the Internet Work and What Are the Implications for Broadband Policy?

The internet is, as its name suggests, a complex “network of networks.” And sending an email or accessing a webpage requires data to transit multiple networks, owned and operated by different internet service providers (ISPs). Policymakers working to improve the availability and affordability of high-speed internet service, or broadband, need to understand how data travels across the millions of miles of pipes, cables, wires, and other equipment owned by various ISPs between users across the country and around the world. The Pew Charitable Trusts addresses the components of a broadband network, who owns these networks and how they interact, how we access content, and what all of this means for consumers.

[Anna Read is senior officer and Kathryn de Wit is project director at The Pew Charitable Trusts' Broadband Access Initiative.]