[wsfii-discuss] Google Broadband

Wed Sep 10 01:47:36 UTC 2008

Hello all;

I agree with Ermanno Pietrosemoli. I had been telling friends why
United Nations does not put a few satellites and provide connectivity
to narrow down the digital divide that Kofi Annan always used to talk.
If Google does that, that will be great I think. However, we need to
wait to see how cheaper their services will be. It is not free.

Mahabir

On Wed, Sep 10, 2008 at 4:34 AM, Chris Wilson <chris at aptivate.org> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> According to FT and other sources, 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" in 2010.
>
> "They will... order 16 low-earth orbit satellites... as the first stage in a
> $750m project to connect mobile masts in a swath of countries within 45 degrees
> of the equator to fast broadband networks... the project could bring the cost
> of bandwidth in such markets down by 95 per cent."
>
> I've written a critical review on on our new (personal) blog at:
> http://tinderblog.wordpress.com/2008/09/09/google-broadband/
> Please feel free to read more and comment there.
>
> Ermanno Pietrosemoli commented: "I am very much excited about the
> possibility of using this transport technology in combination with
> community wireless access (WiFi extensions or even proprietary techniques)
> to provide a complete communication solution for developing countries at
> affordable cost, bypassing traditional carriers, provided that the
> frequency availability issue can be solved."
>
> Thanks, Chris.
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