How much does the internet weigh?

The Internet consists of many components, including physical elements such as servers, cables and personal computers, as well as the data that is transmitted over this network.

The Internet was created in the 1960s as a project of the US Department of Defence, and its original purpose was to provide reliable communications in a nuclear war. Over time, it has evolved into a global communications network that now stores vast amounts of information. Determining the weight of the Internet, although more of an academic exercise, helps us realise just how much data we transmit and store every day.

The question of the weight of the Internet is complex and depends on what we consider the "Internet" to be. If we consider only electronic data (in the form of electrons), scientist John Nakomiya estimates that the "weight" of the entire Internet is approximately 50 grams, which is the weight of an egg or a strawberry. If the physical infrastructure - cables, servers, computers, etc. - is taken into account, the weight is tonnes.

If we talk about the weight of the internet in terms of data volume, in 2021 it has been estimated that the World Wide Web contains approximately 79 zettabytes of information.

Last Updated on 12.11.2023