A US company is planning to build an ‘Outernet’ – a global
network of cube satellites broadcasting internet data to all the people on the
planet for free. The idea is to offer free internet access to all people,
regardless of location, bypassing filtering or other means of censorship
according to the New York based non-profit organization, Media Development
Investment Fund (MDIF).
MDIF proposes that hundreds of cube satellites be built and
launched to create a constellation of sorts in the sky, allowing anyone with a
phone or Computer to access Internet data sent to the satellites by several
hundred ground stations.
The organization claims that 40% of the people in the World
today are still not able to connect to the Internet – it’s not just because of
restrictive governments such as in North Korea – it’s also due to the high cost
of bringing service to remote areas.
An Outernet would allow people from Siberia to parts of the
western US to islands or villages in Africa to receive the same news as those
in New York and Tokyo.
The Outernet would be one way – data would flow from feeders
to the satellites which would broadcast to all below. MDIF plans to add the
ability to transmit from anywhere as well as soon as funds become available.
MDIF has acknowledged that building such a network would not
be cheap. Such satellites typically run $300,000 to build and launch. The
timeline for the project calls for deploying the initial cube satellites as
early as next summer.
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