Internet World

Global & U.S. Infrastructure Maps & Data

Explore how the internet is built: submarine cables, terrestrial fiber, data centers, and broadband coverage. All maps and statistics below are from third-party sources; we do not control their content or availability.

Global Internet Infrastructure

The global internet backbone relies on submarine cable systems that carry the majority of intercontinental traffic. These cables connect continents along defined routes; terrestrial fiber and data center interconnects complete the path. Redundancy across multiple cable systems and diverse routing supports reliability and resilience.

Open Submarine Cable Map in new tab|

Source: www.submarinecablemap.com (third-party; not affiliated with Cloud Telecommunications)

United States Internet Infrastructure

U.S. infrastructure is characterized by metro fiber concentration in major markets, Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) that aggregate traffic, and long-haul fiber corridors linking regions. Hyperscale data center clusters are concentrated in Virginia, Dallas, Chicago, and Silicon Valley, driving demand for backbone and last-mile construction.

Open FCC Broadband Map in new tab|

Source: broadbandmap.fcc.gov (third-party; not affiliated with Cloud Telecommunications)

Internet Performance & Connectivity Data

5+ billion

Global Internet Users

Approximate global users

85–90%+

U.S. Broadband Penetration

Household broadband adoption

200+ Mbps

Avg. U.S. Fixed Broadband Speed

Typical downstream

20–30% annually

Data Center Traffic Growth

Approximate growth range

Data based on publicly available industry reports (ITU, FCC, Cloudflare Radar, etc.). Figures are informational approximations and may vary by source and date.

From Global Backbone to Local Deployment

The international backbone depends on submarine cable systems that land at coastal points and connect to terrestrial networks. In the U.S., the backbone distributes traffic through metro fiber and long-haul corridors. Last-mile FTTH and premises connectivity depend on local OSP construction—conduit, fiber placement, splicing, and testing.

Reliable infrastructure requires:

  • HDD crossings for road and obstacle avoidance
  • Conduit planning and route diversity
  • Splicing precision and test-pack documentation
  • Diverse routing for redundancy and resilience

Fiber construction for this infrastructure

Cloud Telecommunications delivers OSP construction for backbone, metro, and last-mile. Request an RFQ or explore our services.