I once heard the Republican presidential candidate, Donald, bluff about how America can easily switch off Africa's internet with a push of a botton in America.
I am wondering if this is possible.

Very much possive if it happens that our inter connected servers made to the link and to the switch he would punch.

But some servers will be up sha

The internet is a connection of millions if not billions of computers (servers, mainfraime computers etc)by a logical ptotocol known as BGP and governed by a unique system number known as autonomous sytem number (AS).

These numbers are assigned to eligible corporate networks by bodies like the IANA (internet assigning number agency) etc.These agencies are controlled by the americans and europeans while other nations like nigeria have sister agencies that are members of these bodies. Etisalat nigeria for example has its own unique AS number while it runs BGP in its telecom infrastructure.

The internet is designed to be fault tolerant and multiple redundancy in place. The internet was designed with humanity in mind.

What donald trump was probably insinuating is that majority of information and resources on the internet are hosted on its machines and domain (.com). The US has considerable control of the internet but it doesnt control the switch becos there is none. Mind you donald trump is a mockery of democracy in the US.

Anyone who has BGP configured can technically switch off the internet. It's more complex than you guys think.

Watch this video to expand your knowledge:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQoa2coBCDs

Fulaman198:
Anyone who has BGP configured can technically switch off the internet. It's more complex than you guys think.

Watch this video to expand your knowledge:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQoa2coBCDs

Yet to see the video. Accordingto Tim berner lee, the inventor of the internet, the internet is a decentralised system. You can shut down a part of the system but you can not shut down the entire system. Tyran govts and individuals have tried in the last 25 years without sucess. The closest is the denial of services in some regions and the affected AS numbers are quickly isolated before it spreads like ebola. Technically speaking, BGP is the slowest routing protocol ever designed. For a global shutdown, it will take 3 days to propagate faulty route advertisements. In one hour, network operatorswould have selected new backup routes. For now, there is no record of a shutdown. In the future, who knows.www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/technology/sir-tim-berners-lee-denies-internet-1305799

Can we ask Philip Emagwale

Have you heard of the 13 computers? They control the Internet and they are in America

ITbomb:
Have you heard of the 13 computers?
They control the Internet and they are in America

There are many more alternative root name servers located all over the world. They are serve as mirror and alternative to the original 13 computers (root name servers). Thanks to george bush threat to shut out other nations in 2005 and the subsequent attack of the name servers in 2006.

George bush and donal trump are cowboys. They shoot before they think. Typical of republicans.