---
description: See how maps of the Internet have changed over the past 10 years.
title: See What the Internet Actually Looks Like
image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt11f6f2ba336d3a87/69885a9d0b72e308646e4e1e/0aopte5-barrett-lyon2.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9
---
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# See What the Internet Actually Looks Like
by
[Jack Linshi](/author/jack-linshi/)
## Jack Linshi
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Jul 13, 2015 5:25 PM CUT
July 11, 2015 Strong growth of Latin America networks through the years has resulted in an Internet that is no longer North America-centric.
July 11, 2015 Strong growth of Latin America networks through the years has resulted in an Internet that is no longer North America-centric.Barrett Lyon
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[Jack Linshi](/author/jack-linshi/)
## Jack Linshi
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Jul 13, 2015 5:25 PM CUT
The [Opte Project](http://www.opte.org/ "undefined"), an Internet mapping initiative started in 2003 by computer scientist and artist Barrett Lyon, has released its latest visualization of the ever-growing Internet.
The Internet at its core is a massive global system of interconnected computer networks. What’s mapped in the images above, Lyon explains, are the paths through which information flows from router to router all across the world. Computers from different regions of the world are mapped out by color, allowing viewers to see how regions like Latin America have experienced explosive growth in Internet connectivity.
“What you’re looking at is not a real world. You’re looking at a representation of this different dimension, so to speak,” says Lyon. “The Internet is really big, very connected and extremely complex. It’s this whole world you can’t see. That’s the fun part of visualizing it.”
The Opte Project has been on display in the [Museum of Modern Art](https://www.moma.org/learn/moma%5Flearning/barrett-lyon-the-opte-project-mapping-the-internet-2003 "undefined") in New York City and the [Museum of Science](http://www.mos.org/exhibits/mapping-the-world "undefined") in Boston.
2003 A visualization of routing paths of the Internet on July 8, 2003, shows how the Internet was predominantly overrun by North America. There was less connectivity in Europe and Asia-Pacific, and the least connectivity in Africa and Latin America. Here's an example: the center of the large North America starburst towards the top-left corner represents an IP address owned by Verizon Business. The lines link to the IP addresses of Verizon Business users. Barrett Lyon
2006 Three years later, on July 8, 2006, there is increased connectivity in Europe, while Internet routing paths are beginning to become more visible in Asia-Pacific and Latin America. Here's an example: the center of Latin America starburst towards the top-left corner represents UNINET Mexico (Telemex), which is a large Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Mexico. Barrett Lyon
2009 By July 8, 2009, large networks of Internet routing paths in Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America have become visible. Connectivity in Africa remained relatively low. Here's an example: the center of the big Asia-Pacific starburst at 4 o'clock represents the China Education and Research Network Center, which is a massive state-funded network universities across the nation. Barrett Lyon
2012 As the Internet grows, the center of the map becomes more dense with connections. That's because more users are connecting to more ISPs, which, when mapped, results in more lines. Here's an example: the center of the Africa starburst at 4 o'clock represents Telecom Egypt (TE Data), an ISP in Egypt that had 1.2 million customers in 2012. Barrett Lyon
July 11, 2015 Strong growth of Latin America networks through the years has resulted in an Internet that is no longer North America-centric. Barrett Lyon
Korea Telecom, South Korea's largest internet provider, is a small part of the internet, but a closer look shows it is quite extensive. Barrett Lyon
A closer look at Korea Telecom Barrett Lyon
An even closer look at Korea Telecom Barrett Lyon
The closest look at Korea Telecom shows the many individual IP addresses that together make up an essential part of the internet. Barrett Lyon
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