In some ways, the internet actually is a series of tubes. Some cell phone and internet companies might like you to think that your mobile internet connection is truly wireless — but in reality, your data is largely still just shooting through wires that criss-cross the Earth.
When you send a photo to a relative, write an email to a friend, or upload a video to Snapchat, your data travels huge distances in just seconds, largely because of a giant network of internet infrastructure that helps the world share its information.
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Want to know more about how your favorite app or website makes it to the cell phone in your pocket? TIME explains in the video above.
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