Fixed and fluid: stability and change in the geography of the Internet

Sean P. Gorman and Edward J. Malecki

Telecommunications Policy, vol. 26, issue 7-8, 389-413

Abstract: The geography of today's Internet infrastructure is grounded in the fiber installations, routers, switches and central offices that guide electronic messages around the world. While the location of hardware is relatively fixed, the task of identifying the locations where data and information are stored is a far more difficult task. Advances in technology have created a very fluid definition of the location of information that has become increasingly distributed and ethereal. This paper examines the current structure and location patterns of Internet infrastructure hardware in the USA and how content distribution networks and peer-to-peer networks have disrupted traditional information location. The comparison of the two provides insight into how the geography of infrastructure hardware is influencing Internet technology and business.

Keywords: Internet; Infrastructure; Peer-to-peer; Cybergeography (search for similar items in EconPapers)
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