The Internet is certainly
a wild frontier on many levels, including how the world's Internet service
providers (ISP) offer connectivity to customers however even we are sometimes
amazed at what lengths some players will go to in order to dominate an industry. Such is the case with Google and Facebook;
two cutting-edge technology companies now competing for aerial Internet
dominance.
What do we mean by
'aerial Internet dominance'? We are
referring to the ongoing competition between Facebook and Google to provide
Internet service to billions of people who do not currently have it. Rather than building a traditional
infrastructure of cables and wires though, the two companies are looking into
drones and balloons respectively.
Google seems to be way
ahead of Facebook at this point. Google
X's Astro Teller told the EmTech conference in Cambridge last week that his
company's work on providing Internet access through high-altitude balloons is
making good progress. Google originally
announced the project a little more than a year ago. Known as Project Loon, it is an endeavour
that aims to use specially designed balloons that float in the stratosphere.
The balloons are equipped
with sophisticated software that is able to alter altitude in order to put the
carriers into the appropriate wind patterns.
The balloons would broadcast signals to be received by special antennae
mounted on rooftops. Though Google has
yet to make any money from the project, they have not hesitated to invest a
considerable amount, including billions of dollars for new satellites. Teller maintains that the investment is well
worth it if his company is eventually able to provide Internet service to over
5 billion people.
Meanwhile, Facebook is
working on its own drone-based technology for remote Internet service. Rather than working with high-altitude
balloons however, it is focusing its energies on drones. It seems to be behind Google's efforts for
two reasons: First, it did not establish
its Connectivity Lab until earlier this year. Second, it has a lot more challenges to
overcome.
Facebook's Yael Maguire
says the Connectivity Lab must overcome both hardware and regulatory
hurdles. Where hardware is concerned,
Facebook is working with drones roughly the same size as commercial airliners
yet it has to create machines with the on-board solar and battery technology to
keep them aloft for extended periods.
Where regulation is concerned, there are no rules or guidelines for the
use of drones at the altitudes Facebook is looking at. That says nothing of the signals that will be
travelling between the drones and land-based receivers.
Who will win the race to
aerial Internet dominance? Only time
will tell. Google says it is ready to
begin the testing phase of Project Loon in the very near future. Facebook says it will not be ready for
testing for another two to five years.
Meanwhile, billions of people who do not know what unfettered Internet
access is like are waiting with bated breath….
Perhaps someone should start coming up with a strategy to provide them
with computers too…
Source: The WHIR – http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/google-facebook-race-provide-worldwide-internet-drones-balloons
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