The Internet is the global system of interconnected computer networks that communicate using the Internet protocol suite.
It links private, public, academic, business, and government networks through routers and many kinds of physical and wireless connections. No single organization owns the entire Internet, although numerous organizations operate parts of its infrastructure and coordinate standards, names, and addresses.
The World Wide Web is one service that runs on the Internet, not another name for the whole system. Email, online games, streaming, file transfer, and many other services also use Internet connectivity. This distinction is one of the most common misunderstandings in basic technology vocabulary.
The Internet grew from research networks including ARPANET, but today it is a decentralized collection of networks. Its operation depends on interoperable protocols, including IP for addressing and TCP or other transport protocols for moving data.