The long cables
Sometimes the pieces travel a long way as light in glass, including under the ocean. Often the answering computer is much closer.
One more sentence, for a grown-up
Light in glass is fast, and a longer path still adds a wait. Satellites are another way across a long distance. They are not a required hop, and many pages never leave the region. Distances here are rough, as of 2026.
Sometimes a few miles, sometimes an ocean. The model is not to scale.
Real: What it looks like.
- Light in glass
- Packets
Keys: arrows rotate · + / − zoom · 0 reset · 1–4 views · S signal · T tour · L labels · Space spin. The model is stylised. The network on this page is made up.
Every labeled part
- 1
The glass
The pieces ride flashes of light inside a glass cable.
- 2
The shore
Some cables run under the ocean from one coast to another.
- 3
A nearer answer
A lot of pages are answered by a computer much closer than the ocean.
- 4
The wait
A longer path makes the reply take longer, even though the light is fast.
- Light in glass
- Packets
Try it
Lengthen the cable. The wait grows. Often the answer is the nearby one.
Wait: A blink.