Internet works by breaking up a large data set into a lot of smaller packets.

Packets are then routed through the system.

The junctions in the tunnels would be like Internet routers, helping to route one packet in one direction, and another packet another direction.

If one of the pathways (tunnels) becomes too busy, the system can route around it using alternate pathways, that may have to travel a larger distance, but ultimately still faster to take the longer way at that moment.

So yes, it would have several strong similarities to the Internet.

However, the "model" I just described for the Internet above is actually a virtual model, that works on type of the lowest layer which consists of:

1) Electricity flowing through wires.

2) Pulses of laser light flowing through wires.

3) Signals of microwaves.

So the actual physical layer of the Internet isn't really a good metaphoric fit for the TBC tunnels.

But on top of that physical layer, the real electrons and photons represent virtual data, which is arranged as packets as described above.