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Google Invests In Broadband For Poorer Countries
Chris Wilson writes "According to the Financial Times, Google has announced their support for a new initiative called O3B to 'bring internet access to 3bn people in Africa and other emerging markets by launching at least 16 satellites to bring its services to the unconnected' by 2010. Coverage is available from Yahoo and the Wall Street Journal as well. 'The $750m project to connect mobile masts in a swath of countries within 45 degrees of the equator to fast broadband networks ... could bring the cost of bandwidth in such markets down by 95 per cent.' This will probably be the largest single investment in network infrastructure for developing countries in history. Google clearly wishes to use this project to enable broadband Internet access in developing regions, but many other things must be in place before that can happen, including fixed power infrastructure, PCs or OLPCs, technical support and skills, and useful content and services for areas with lower literacy."
Even with those caveats such a system might be more usable for those within the coverage zone than many current US broadband providers' connections are.
Benford's Corollary to Clarke's Law: "Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced."
16 satellites in LEO, meaning intermittent coverage, plus they will need spares and steerable ground antennas.
They're going to use the satellites for long haul & 3g masts for last mile.
and it seems pretty expensive for covering only a belt around the equator.
45 degrees is half way to the north/south poles.
There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
Marketing is great, innit?
"They cannot afford our product, so lets artificially accelerate their development until such point that they can, and then sell them out product"
Not that I, paying ZAR70 per gig for internet access, mind at all. Hell, bring it on - those monopolistic providers here in Africa, please, by all means, hand their asses to them.
I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.
If you had RTFS, you would understand that these LOW EARTH ORBIT satellites offer a 100ms latency... not bad.
I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
Even parts of Canada are within that region...