This means more cell towers, more small cells, more Wi-Fi, more advanced technology like LTE and MIMO, more spectrum, and more Ethernet optical fiber links connecting all these wireless and data center nodes.

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The NETGEAR D6300 WiFi Modem Router also includes a separate gigabit Ethernet WAN port for connecting to either high-speed cable or fiber optic broadband.

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But unlike the last build-out, when companies buried thousands of miles of long-haul fiber-optic cable under the sea and across continents, today's construction is focused more on connecting local homes and businesses with faster Internet pipes.

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But since 1995, that simple anatomy has given way to several separate backbones -- thousands of miles of extremely-high-bandwidth fiber-optic cable owned by the likes of Sprint, GTE, IBM, and MCI WorldCom, connecting major metropolitan areas all over the country.

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