The Internet Backbones of the USA (some of Canada) - as of 2006

[CntdwnToExtn]

Can't find anything more recent (with a chart like this)
Unfortunately it's not in geographical location and cable lengths are not to scale, but it no doubt gets the point across.

All the Backbone routers of the Internet: Who owns the Internet? We have a map that shows you. | CIO - Blogs and Discussion

 

[Kharn]

In the EU most of the network is owned by one company but is mostly used by resellers who have control, there are other players in the market but sadly not on the same scale.

 

[CntdwnToExtn]

That kinda surprises me since I'm always hearing about the EU suing someone for monopolistic ways, or not allowing competition. Would think that 1 network backbone would have to split or up or something.

 

[Kharn]

Well, CWW own the network and manage most of it but day to day operations are carried out by other OLO's like FR telecom, Dutcher Telecom, BT, and a arse load of others. They have been going over 100 years and built it up accordingly and they play nice unlike most others in the market, **** they give a unparalleled level of access to OLO's so they havent been hit by anti competition and there are other providers mostly on a national level but this is a pan euro network **** its pan global really they performed a split a few years back and there are now two compnies one focusing on the northern hemespheer and the other on the south but there is lots of cross over.

 

[CntdwnToExtn]

You mean to say big companies are actually working together? o_0
No wonder you guys have good bandwidth other there (well, I've heard anyway).

 

[Kharn]

Yea lot's of providers work together, but it's not all happy especially in the UK where the telecoms industry is regulated beyond belief (we are kinda the poor cousin in the EU for telecoms) we have massive areas where there is no internet service called not spots but in parts of europe there are small mountain communities that have 10Mb internet connections that are both faster and more reliable than some city's in the UK, most of this is down to BT and Ofcom being so far up there own backside they can see daylight.