# [TECH] Internet & World Wide Web
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**The Internet** is the global packet-switched network; the **World Wide Web** is the hypertext application layer that made it universally accessible. Together they have transformed commerce, communication, media, science, and politics.
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## Overview
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ARPANET (1969) demonstrated packet switching. TCP/IP (Cerf & Kahn, 1974) defined the internet's protocol. Tim Berners-Lee invented the WWW at CERN (1989–1991), providing hyperlinked documents accessible via browsers. Mosaic (1993) and Netscape (1994) brought graphic browsing to consumers. Google (1998), Amazon (1994), and Facebook (2004) emerged from the platform. Mobile internet (3G+, 2001–) put the web in every pocket. By 2023, the internet has 5.4 billion users.
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## Key Actors
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- **Companies**: ARPA/DARPA (funding), Cisco (routers, 1984), Google (1998), Amazon (1994), Meta (2004), Cloudflare (2009)
- **Inventors**: Vint Cerf (1943–) & Bob Kahn (1938–) — TCP/IP; Tim Berners-Lee (1955–) — WWW
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## Key Patents
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Deliberately patent-free: Berners-Lee did not patent the WWW; CERN made it royalty-free. Internet protocols (TCP/IP) are open standards.
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## Economic Value
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Internet contributes approximately **$11.5 trillion/year** to global GDP (McKinsey 2023), representing ~15% of global economic activity. E-commerce alone: $6T/year (eMarketer 2023).
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## Notes
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McKinsey Global Institute *Internet Matters* updated 2023 estimate. E-commerce: eMarketer *Global Ecommerce Forecast* 2023.
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# Parents
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* [TECH] Optical Fiber Communications⏎