Planetary-scale ISPs require a policy Rethink of Global Proportions
Our tiny blue planet is quickly being encased in layers of fast-flying, low-earth orbiting satellites in an effort to provide Internet access to earth’s three billion unconnected and slowly connected inhabitants. Like much of the 21st-century space race, these efforts are backed by billionaires, fueled by their egos, and shaped by their vision for humanity’s future. Elon Musk, Richard Branson, and Jeff Bezos are leading the way in deploying constellations of internet delivering satellites, while governments (Russia, China, and Saudi Arabia) have announced plans to follow suit.
While the Internet delivered by satellite is not new, it previously has been expensive, slow, and unable to support real-time applications. In the 90s, Motorola’s Iridium network pioneered the use of massive constellations of fast-moving low-earth-orbit satellites to deliver voice and data services. The basic technology is sound, and today’s generation of satellites are capable of high-speed, redundant connectivity even in the remotest places on the planet.
Starlink (a division of SpaceX) is the leader in this area with over 2000 satellites deployed, and a launch…
