Global network

The term, as used in this article, refers in a more restricted way to bidirectional communication networks based on technology.

Setting up global networks requires immensely costly and lengthy efforts lasting for decades.

Elaborate interconnections, switching and routing devices, laying out physical carriers of information, such as land and submarine cables and earth stations must be set in operation.

However, there are specific low Earth orbit (LEO) global satellite constellations, such as Iridium, Globalstar and Orbcomm, which are comprised by dozens of similar satellites which are put in orbit at regularly spaced positions and form a mesh network, sometimes sending and receiving information directly among themselves.

It is estimated that 80% of the global mobile market uses the GSM standard, present in more than 212 countries and territories.

Digital global networks require huge carrying capacity in the main backbones.