Wireless is the way to go when it comes to the future of the Internet. But what better way can this be done than through satellites?
This is exactly what Greg Wyler thinks about, and now he has delivered. He beat fellas at Facebook, his former co-workers at Google, and even his friend Elon Musk from SpaceX to provide broadband access from space.
Wyler is the first to receive permission to actually build a next-generation satellite internet service which targets Internet users in the United States. Recently, federal regulators approved Wyler and his company called OneWeb to have a satellite Internet service.
The system is easy: airwaves beam the Internet down to earth, using a fleet of 720 satellites developed by Wyler. These satellites orbit the earth at an altitude of roughly 745 miles (1,200) kilometers.
If everything goes smoothly as planned, Wyler’s Internet could roll out as early as 2019, perhaps the most reliable and accessible around.
Photo by OneWeb
There are already satellite internet services available but the technology is either slow, expensive, or out of reach.
For example, users have to spend up to US$200 using that service to load up shows over Netflix, making it an impractical choice, unless the need calls for it especially in relief operations.
Wyler, among other people venturing in this idea, is looking at placing the satellites closer to earth – in the low-earth orbit instead of geostationary orbit – to have a smoother, faster Internet experience.
Ajit Pai, Chairman of the United States Federal Communications Commission, said that the agency expects more projects like this to come.
“It is our hope that in the future years to come, Americans will be able to use these networks when they’re in the sky to make their own destiny,” he said.
Source: Washington Post
