# Rethinking the Internet **Understanding the Three Layers of the Internet**  The Internet is made of 3 layers: 1. **Compute & Storage:** This layer houses applications and is predominantly centralized, operating from vast data centers. 2. **Network:** The network layer facilitates the movement of information, whether it's wireless, via cables like fiber, or through satellite links. Today, information often travels long distances, with a few companies controlling over 80% of the internet’s network capacity. 3. **Applications:** These are hosted in large data centers, relying on the centralized compute and storage layers. This centralization makes the system vulnerable. **Current Challenges** Digital information primarily flows through extensive fiber backbone networks, as shown here:  The internet’s design causes inefficiencies, such as when two people in Zanzibar use a service like Zoom. Their data travels all the way to European data centers where Zoom's servers are hosted and back, leading to slow performance, decreased reliability, and increased costs.  **Issues with Autonomy and Sovereignty** Our current internet model compromises autonomy and sovereignty. Most data is stored in large data centers controlled by a few major corporations, effectively turning users into products.  Moreover, the internet is replicated many times across various applications, each requiring its own full infrastructure. This approach is unsustainable and inefficient. --- This retains the original structure and links, ensuring that the information is clear and the visual aids are effectively utilized.