Why is there only one Internet ?

[Abraxas]

Sounds like a dumb question. 
I've been increasingly pondering why there isn't Internet for Business, Internet for Home User's. Internet seperation might solve a lot of problems, like it being under attack from criminals.
There could be a more advanced and secure Business Internet, which may have a surcharge for the extra security. Plus they could advertise on the Home User Network.
We could have a MS Internet, a Linux Internet, Internet for toddlers ... , etc.

I'm sure there's a simple answer, I don't seem to be able to figure it though.

I suppose it's because of Infrastructure, although that really doesn't make a whole lot of sense, with all manner of technology transmitting the digital data around the World... Been meaning to ask this for a long time.

Be kind responding, I have my head in the clouds 

[kjpetrie]

There are all these things. They're called VPNs and they run on the same infrastructure, but encrypted. However, while businesses want to sell to consumers they need to be in a common space where they can be found.

[rubentje1991]

There are all these things. They're called VPNs and they run on the same infrastructure, but encrypted. However, while businesses want to sell to consumers they need to be in a common space where they can be found.

+1
And many companies aren't trusting the "worldwide internet" accessing their private network; so they try to separate them from each other, so that the internal network is not easily accessible  (sometimes it's possible to log in to it from outside, but with many security steps  )

[Neal ManBear]

There are many internets (and intranets) but only one world wide web.     

[joechimp]

There are many internets (and intranets) but only one world wide web.     

well put.

[Wildman]

The question is why only one world wide Internet?

[jaydot]

same reason there's only one world and everything gets done on that?

[parnote]

Because most users (read Windows users) can't even manage to navigate one! 

[gandy]

I thought that I read somewhere that there is a WWW2. It's closed off to the common WWW and only used by certain agencies. Maybe that was something I dreamt.

[grnich]

The Internet is a series of tubes.....   

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Series_of_tubes

[The Chief]

I thought that I read somewhere that there is a WWW2. It's closed off to the common WWW and only used by certain agencies. Maybe that was something I dreamt.

That's just a sub-domain - mainly used for load balancing, etc.  Same content on several servers, designated WWW, WWW2, WWW3, etc.

[Wildman]

I see , lotsa choice's I suppose....2 maybe?     1= Little  2= None....
(look for the humor, its there,,really) 

[bicol_willem]

The question is why only one world wide Internet?

Because .. we have only one world (makes sense ha?) 

[muungwana]

The question is why only one world wide Internet?

The internet is a world wide network of computers connected together though routers.

Routers that connect a collection of computers/routers on one part of the world to a collection of computers/routers on the other part of the world are what make up the internet.

To have more than one internet, by definition, will mean to have a bunch of computers/routers on one segment completely inaccessible from computers/routers on another segment. If you have even computer that connects the two segment and all flow of traffic then this one computer, by definition, will be called a router and will serve a purpose of connecting the two segment and create one "internet".

Out of that one "mother network" ie the internet. Other networks can be formed by discriminating what traffic and from where is allowed to flow and what isnt. Here you have "local network", a sufficiently large "local network" is called "intranet". A local network connected to another local network over the internet is usually done through private networks aka "VPN".

It is better to have one giant network at the lowest level(hardware level) and then fragment it at higher levels through protocol and IP address discrimination.

If Europe does not want to get traffic from North America for example, it is much easier to just type a few key strokes on the computer terminal and block North America IP addresses than to go the middle of the Atlantic ocean and cut the network cables that connect the two continents.

[ElCuervo]

The Internet is a series of tubes.....   

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Series_of_tubes

...and because of the high production costs and power requirements of said tubes, we can only afford one Internet...