The Internet Computer blockchain runs on a sovereign decentralized physical layer composed of independent nodes running at independent data centers across the globe. Nodes running on physical or pooled hardware and using centralized cloud instances defeat the ethos of a truly decentralized network. To maintain the sovereignty of this physical layer the Internet Computer requires the nodes to be authorized by the community in the form of a proposal to the algorithmic governance system of the Internet Computer aka the Network Nervous System (NNS)
This community driven voting process to the NNS also needs to ensure decentralization by limiting the number of nodes per data center, limiting per entity ownership, limiting common network fabric and power grids.
