The internet. I’m honestly not sure what my life would be without it. While I love being outdoors, having a world of knowledge and entertainment at my fingertips is something I can’t picture living without. It’s a technological evolution that many of us take for granted and view as a right, when in fact there are still hundreds of millions around the world who don’t get to experience this joy daily.
Microsoft wants to play a part in changing all that with the company’s Airband initiative which is focusing on using unused TV white space (TVWS) to connect people to the internet. The company has found success in rolling this out to over 3 million people in the US and is now setting their sights on reaching 40 million people across Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa by July 2022, as revealed in a new blog.
Microsoft boasts that its international efforts have already shown some success. In Colombia, the company says it has completed a small project to get two schools and five farms connected to the internet using TVWS technology, and it’s also co-invested with local ISPs to extend internet access to 6 million rural Colombians while in Ghana, it’s working to deregulate TVWS technology in a move that will allow one broadband provider to offer its services to 800,000 people.
This is a great initiative from Microsoft and while they are not alone in their efforts to bring the internet to the masses with Google having a Next Billion Users initiative and Facebook exploring everything from drones to satellites to get more people connected. Obviously, all these companies see a commercial opportunity in this big online drive, but there are a lot of other economic benefits that the internet can provide these poorer communities too. Such as incessant Facebook notifications, targeted ads and privacy violations. Did I tell you how much I love the internet?
Last Updated: October 9, 2019
Original Heretic
October 9, 2019 at 14:29
Awesome! Even more African royalty is going to be offering money to people in 2022.
HvR
October 9, 2019 at 14:29
M$: we are working on plans connect everyone
Facebook: we are working on plans connect everyone
Google: we are working on plans to connect everyone
SpaceX: Hear the boom of my motherf…. Falcon bitches:
https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/151/590x/SpaceX-Starlink-live-stream-1131219.jpg?r=1558643182565
https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8zmH6vH7tuWjSlp5VmRC3dtvkEk=/0x0:960×540/1200×800/filters:focal(404×194:556×346)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64150524/47926144123_2a828b66d5_o__1_.0.jpg
Original Heretic
October 9, 2019 at 14:29
Much as I’d love to go up in one of these, I would kak myself. Literally.
HvR
October 9, 2019 at 14:48
Well at that launch trajectory you will be turned into human jelly pudding.
If I had billions I would probably take the small step first and go on a Blue Origins New Sheppard hop first
Original Heretic
October 9, 2019 at 15:26
I meant more along the lines of “going up in a space shuttle”, period.
I fear flying in an airplane. Terra Firma and I are far too toight.
HvR
October 9, 2019 at 15:37
LOL, guessed as much.
Although your options now are with the Russian Comrades in a Soyuz or duct tapped to the outside of a Falcon. Until SpaceX gets Dragon huma flight rated or Boeing one day finishes Starliner
As much as all the new generation space tech fascinates me if somebody would to forcefully shoved me into a Soyuz I would probably shit myself to death before launch.
Original Heretic
October 9, 2019 at 15:37
In 30 years time, when the Earth is on the brink of destruction, I’ll be the old geezer who insists on staying right where I am while the rest of humanity escapes to Mars.
Either that, or drug me up so I feel nooothing.
HvR
October 9, 2019 at 15:37
Spaced out on the 8 month journey in space.
Original Heretic
October 9, 2019 at 15:37
If it still takes 8 months in 30 years time, then they doing something wrong!
HvR
October 9, 2019 at 16:16
Just checked the sinusoidal Earth-Mars distance graph. 2050 we are at a maximum so actually 10 months.
Chance of that time decreasing so soon is actually very small since we need some kind of more potent exotic fuel that we will be able to mine and process on Mars.
That is why SpaceX went with hydrogen for the Raptor engine for Starship, that at later stage they can setup fuel processing on Mars then burn most of the fuel to Mars and get their faster.
But to original statement, a Musk quote for first colonist to Mars:
“No. Your probability of dying on Mars is much higher than Earth. Really the ad for going to Mars would be like Shackleton’s ad for going to the Antarctic [in 1914]. It’s gonna be hard. There’s a good chance of death, going in a little can through deep space. You might land successfully. Once you land successfully, … there’s a good chance you’ll die there. We think you can come back; but we’re not sure.”
Original Heretic
October 9, 2019 at 17:47
It would take that length of time using current tech, I get that.
But there must be someone out there, working on SOMETHING better.
30 years is a long time for science. Especially in today’s world where new advances are hitting is hard and fast.
Hell, in 30 years, we might be able to teleport to Mars, if some of those experiments that the Chinese have done can get expanded on.
HvR
October 9, 2019 at 19:46
Forgot the precise terms but it is the quick successive small steps we make within our current knowledge vs the big leap breakthroughs every 40/50/60/70 years.
We are effectively still on the same knowledge base of the 60s just very well refined.
Same with battery tech, lipo tech was thought out and prototyped in 70’s (before that nickel based was first thought out in 1899) but could only be made into safe commercial product in the 90’s and now the limits to what we can do with lipo but none of the new dozen or so alternatives have been proven to work or proven to work better.