Network Cities and the Global Structure of the Internet

Cities have played an important role in the process of globalization as centers for information exchange. Urban scholars note that a handful of dominant financial services centers—so-called global cities—has dominated international telecommunications networks. Yet, these and others have failed to understand how new telecommunications technologies, particularly the Internet, are enabling a far broader diffusion of international interurban connectivity, a far more complex global web than in earlier eras. This article presents evidence on the Internet backbone in which traditionally dominant urban hubs for international communications—London, New York, and Tokyo—are increasingly being supplemented by other hubs within their regions. The global structure of the Internet reflects a shift in the geography of telecommunications networks and the emergence of a network of network cities. To cope with this challenge, urban planners are urged to address three issues: dependency on other cities and urban areas, accessibility to global Internet backbone networks, and proficiency with communications technology.