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Can Google Connect the Unconnected 2/3 To the Internet?

Posted by timothy on from the if-it-makes-business-sense-sure dept.

lpress (707742) writes "Google, along with Facebook, is a founding partner of Internet.org, which seeks "affordable internet access for the two thirds of the world not yet connected." Google is trying to pull it off — they have projects or companies working on Internet connectivity using high-altitude platforms and low and medium-earth orbit satellites. These extra-terrestrial approaches to connectivity have been tried before, without success, but Google is revisiting them using modern launch technology (public and private), antennas, solar power, radios and other electronics, as well as tuning of TCP/IP protocols to account for increased latency. For example, they just acquired Skybox Imaging, which has a low-earth orbit satellite for high resolution video imaging. In the short run, Skybox is about data, video and images, but the long range goal may be connectivity in developing nations and rural areas — substituting routers for telescopes. Skybox plans to operate a constellation of low-earth orbit satellites and that sounds a lot like Teledesic's attempt at providing connectivity in the mid 1990s, using the technology of 2014."

4 of 99 comments (clear)

  1. Needs a good name by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 4, Funny

    So, it's like the Internet, but in the sky? Let's call it SkyNet!

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  2. Re:Does it really matter? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Uh, people generally get their lives improved by being provided with news, information in general, and means to communicate.

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  3. Re:Split up Google by darkain · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How about we focus on Comcast / NBC / Universal / Time / Warner first?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L...

  4. Re:"Affordable"? by queazocotal · · Score: 4, Interesting

    You really have no clue.
    In much of the 'third world' - phones - dumbphones are revolutionizing banking, and doing things to enable farmers to get higher prices for stuff at market, as well as microinvestment.
    http://www.cnbc.com/id/1011804...
    Firefox are launching a $25 phone. Is it a good nice internet access device - no.
    But it will render wikipedia (for example) and let someone track weather forecasts, and do email and essentially everything the internet was when you had a 9600 modem.
    (neglecting for the moment that it won't be able to connect to the above satellites - but in several years it's plausible for the same price).
    $25 is a lot of money for someone earning a dollar a day.
    But, it is much less expensive than the cost of schooling for a year for a child.