ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the robustness and/or fragility of the internet in light of its geographically grounded infrastructure. In presenting the topological structure of the internet, particularly its fiber optics routes, it touches on a series of inter-related topics: dark fiber; data centers, mishaps that disturb network functionality, and the poorly understood complexity of the entire system. The chapter illustrates this topic with a series of long-haul fiber maps.
