Tim Beyers at Motley Fool wrote a piece on Google looking to blanket the entire world with some form of broadband. The company is looking to spend upwards of $3billion to develop and launch Google satellites in orbit.
From the article:
According to The Wall Street Journal, Google CEO Larry Page is authorizing between $1 billion and $3 billion for developing and launching 180 small Google satellites into low-Earth orbit. The idea is to supply Internet access via craft similar to (but smaller than) those designed by O3b, a satellite communications start-up Google has invested in. Founder Greg Wyler has since left to head up the search king’s satellite Internet program.
The news comes on the heels of both Google and Facebook (NASDAQ: FB ) announcing plans to use drones to bring Internet service to hard-to-reach regions. Project Loon enhances those efforts via Internet delivered from high-altitude balloons. Here in the U.S., a plan to give small businesses Wi-Fi equipment could establish a de facto Google network anyone can plug into. Finally, there’s Google Fiber to consider. We’d call it an arms race if this were the 1980s and Facebook and Google were stockpiling weapons rather than enabling Internet connections.
More broadly, the news suggests that Google isn’t as dependent on high-speed, hard-wired fiber connections as we might have believed only a year ago. Choosing wireless (and ultimately, satellite) should make it easier to blanket the entire world with at least some broadband. A plan that mirrors Facebook’s own ambitions.
Those with fiber envy may find that annoying. For everyone else — including not just consumers but also Facebook and Google investors — more comprehensive broadband access amounts to a win. Tim says that’s true no matter who’s funding the source.
Read the full article here
Can you imagine the big cable and telco’s being rendered obsolete like this. Incredible.
Let’s take stock of Google’s large boasts, but little delivery; they’ve claimed to provide so many things to revolutionize the World
Driver-less cars – I don’t see any driver-less cars on road.
Google Glass – It’s been years, I’m yet to see any real person wearing one.
Google New gTLDs – I haven’t seen any, have you?
Google Disco – Scrapped
Google Satellite – ?
Google Search – The most inefficient thing I have ever seen in my life. If aliens landed on planet Earth, the first clue they’ll get that Humans are primitive is Google Search; it will show 2 Million results with 10 on the first page. Is that crazy? Somehow you or the alien is supposed to click through millions of pages, of forego the rest of the search results. Inefficient, and pathetic.
Too many Google promises to list. You get the idea, don’t hold your breath.
Google Tv – I betcha the cable Companies are trembling in their boots. So many promises, very little actualization. Now, it’s the new gTLD people waiting for Google to rescue them, good luck.
Companies like Blockbuster know that things don’t happen overnight, but when they do happen (and they will) the companies we know today may not survive.
As far as some of their plans… you can see video of Google’s preliminary self-driving cars on YouTube. Those who despise ‘cute’ probably won’t care for them. Google Glass, while I wouldn’t wear them, can be seen on a few people in the Bay Area. The gTLDs… who cares. They’re not even worthy of being on the list. Google Satellite and TV (other companies like Apple are developing the latter as well) would both be welcome, at least for the competition factor. The cable companies need to be shaken up a bit… or disappear altogether.
Also,
Electricity
http://qz.com/125407/google-is-on-the-way-to-quietly-becoming-an-electric-utility/
If they don’t, someone else will.
Can but imagine the the difference this could mean to education in the global village, the difference this would mean to commerce. “Compassionate Consumerism” Good on you Larry Page for thinking the possible.
GEO satellites, provide the only means currently available to provide broadband communications.