The Internet, big data and the race to connect the world.
Google, Facebook and Microsoft have all ideated and developed ideas to connect remote and less fortunate areas to the internet. Once the internet went mobile, the question of whether or not the internet is actually a utility has began to propagate. So is it? Should it be regarded as a public utility?Maybe, well, probably but that is certainly what Mark Zuckerberg wants you to think. Utility in this particular case may be a bit weak handed, he actually said that ‘Internet access should be a basic human right.’ So if internet should be a human right, then who should really be connecting the world? Governments or private companies? Who stands to gain the most?
The race to connect the world
Zuckerberg isn’t the only one who has his sights on connecting the world, the usual suspects are all vying to bring the joy and the utility of the internet to everyone. Google and X Project(an internal think tank) have been working diligently on Project Loon, Facebook has already launched a series of tests using it’s potential solution, Aquilia and Microsoft, with it’s more conservative and terrestrial attempt, is looking to capitalize on empty tv white spaces. We’ve been assigned to take a closer look at a social impact problem and complete a competitive analysis on the space. Lately, with the recent political and climate issues we’ve had, this seemed like a perfect aspect to focus on.
49% of the world population is currently connected to internet. Roughly 3.2 billion people have regular access to what a lot of people view as a necessity. The problem with the internet is, it’s really tough to connect those who live in rural areas, infrastructure has been built up and distributed by one of two ways; hardwires or cellular based(including satellites). Meaning you need to plan, build and maintain a rather large system in order to deliver a strong and consistent signal. Establishing hardwires is expensive because you need to literally run wires or fiber optics — which is expensive, and cellular has a relatively small broadcast range. Even in the United States, 23.4 million people still don’t have access to a reliable connection to the internet.
Project Loon: Google and Balloons — A Match Made in in the Stratosphere.
Project X is what Google refers to as their Moonshot Factory. It’s where they use emerging technology and radical thinking to fabricate tailored solutions to real world problems. Project Loon is their radical solution to the issue of internet connectivity in rural environments (or for short-term connectivity from natural disasters).
They’ve poured an incredible amount of resources, both man and money, into creating a real-world solution. The idea centers around very large balloons that inflate and travel using wind currents in the stratosphere. The balloons are connected to each other and to ground stations that allow the balloons to blanket much larger areas ( up to 5,000 sq km) with internet. While this sounds rather simplistic on paper, it’s far from it in actuality. For starters, just launching the balloons required Google to develop a proprietary launching system on wheels with large garage bay doors to block wind and allow for a stable fill and launch cycle. Once the balloon is launched, they need reliable connection between the ground and the balloons, and between each balloon. These balloons are passively moving, meaning they have no propulsion system to choose a direction, or to stay stable. They’re at the whim of the air currents and staying connected to each other is crucial for providing a solid connection. Each balloon is outfitted with a laser and solar panels, and while the balloons are dancing and bobbing around 20km above the earth and 100s of km away from each other, the lasers are constantly beaming a connection between one another – like two lighthouses in the sky. And, if that wasn’t enough, the entire structure; balloons, guidance system, batteries, solar panels and transceivers need to work in conditions where the temperatures drop, cyclically, to around -80º F.
Project Loon has their sights set on connecting the world, or, at least trying. They’ve provided internet in New Zealand, Brazil, Peru, Puerto Rico, they’ve had over 180 days of flight and flown over 19 different countries.
A is for Aquila, F is for Facebook
Like Google, Facebook looked to the sky for connectivity. Terrestrial methods just aren’t going to cut it when you are looking to bring Facebook, I mean the Internet, to the world.
Aquila is a fully carbon, 1,000 lb aircraft that has a wingspan that’s larger than a Boeing 737. The aircraft is covered in solar panels, and during flight has an estimated power consumption of just 5,000 watts. Aquila, unlike Project Loon, is active and able to maneuver to deliver optimal coverage to areas that are in need – delivering connectivity to 60 sq miles at a time. The hopes with Aquila is that there could be up to 10,000 of these around the globe, silently gliding at 70,000 feet for up to 90 days. Facebook’s approach is two fold, Aquila is the tangible aspect, Internet.org is the second part.
Internet.org is a massive endeavor that Zuckerberg launched in 2013 to connect everyone in the world. Facebook has worked on business deals with over 300 cell carriers to provide stripped down web services(Facebook.com included) for free. Despite this philanthropic initiative, Facebook has met a surprising amount of pushback. The stripped down web services, collectively known as Free Basics, are a way to provide less strain on the cellular network but also allowing users to access as much information as possible. But the rollout, which began in 2014, has not gone smoothly. Last April several Indian publishers withdrew their services from the app, claiming Facebook violated net neutrality by colluding with local carriers to offer free access to only a select group of services, putting others at a disadvantage.
White Space and Microsoft
With a smaller scope, Microsoft hopes to bring internet to all 23.4 million of those in the rural United States by using more common means and hopefully more affordably. The way they plan on doing this is by utilizing already existing infrastructure and capitalizing on TV white spaces — underutilized portions of the broadband spectrum. In conjunction with TV white spaces, which could potentially solve 80% of the problem, Microsoft plans on also using fixed wireless and satellites to fully connect the 23.4 million Americans without internet. One potential issue, that sounds like a non-issue according to their white paper, is that they had to reach out and establish partnerships with existing telecommunication companies. Once established, they rolled out a plan to have at least 12 projects up and running in 12 states in the next 12 months.
The one aspect that Microsoft’s plan has that neither Google’s or Facebook’s plans have is investment into the local communities:
We’ll invest in digital skills training for people of all ages in these newly connected communities. Working through Microsoft Philanthropies, our Rural Airband Initiative will help train people on the latest technology so they can use this new connectivity to improve education, health care and agriculture, as well as transform their businesses. We announced a new and vital partnership with the National 4-H Council to do precisely this, building on the 4-H’s capabilities and members across the country. We’ll also create new opportunities for Microsoft’s own employees to volunteer and get involved in projects, including for many, lending a hand in rural communities where they grew up.
So what’s all this mean? Well, for starters, all of these companies have a lot of money they’re trying to do some good with it. But the real question here is, does everyone want the internet? Another partner with Facebook, Project Isizwe isn’t so sure. They offer free internet to people in rural South Africa and even though internet is available, people still don’t want to use it. And that is the crux.
People need to want to use the internet, and if larger companies are pushing to get people connected, despite their natural inclinations, it begins to make you wonder if their true motives are altruistic.
