The Networks as Tool and Target at the same time
Unless you have been without access to the Internet, mobile network(s) and independent media you’ve probably followed the events in Egypt. The shutdown of the Internet throughout the country was an unprecedented move. It took some people by surprise, but anyone with a decent knowledge of routing protocols knew what was going on. There was no magic involved, just simply BGP packets. The aftermath of the still ongoing demonstrations and the show of force can already be seen. The Internet is gaining relevance when it comes to infrastructure. It’s not as important as telephone networks or the power grid, but sooner or later it probably will (especially since phone and power grid services move to the Internet for messaging/transport purposes). The lack of Internet connectivity was bypassed by telephone lines. Dial-up connections with modems