Internet Ownership: Who Controls the Entire Internet? Who are the Networks and Providers Delivering Internet Worldwide?

Internet Ownership: In today's world, the internet has become as essential as water and electricity. In India, millions of people use the internet daily. However, one question arises in many minds—who exactly owns this internet?

To tell the truth, the internet is not owned by any single government, individual, or company. It is a global web created by connecting numerous small and large networks. Cables, servers, data centers, and networks have different owners, but there is no single owner of the entire internet. At the top of this system are large international network companies. They lay fiber cables under the sea to deliver the internet across countries. Companies like Tata Communications, Google, Microsoft, and Meta operate at this level. Other companies get internet from their networks.

The next stage involves telecom companies. In India, companies like Jio, Airtel, Vodafone-Idea, and BSNL spread their networks across the country. At the final stage, local operators deliver the internet to households. Most of the world's internet runs through undersea cables. In India, such cables come ashore in Mumbai, Chennai, and Kochi. In the future, SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, which is attempting to provide internet via satellites, could bring a new equation to this field. In short, the internet is not owned by anyone alone but is a vast network that operates on global cooperation.