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Company plans to beam free Wi-fi to every person on Earth from space
Mail Online ^ | February 5,2014

Posted on 02/17/2014 9:16:06 AM PST by Hojczyk

Title

Forget the Internet - soon there will be the OUTERNET: Company plans to beam free Wi-fi to every person on Earth from space

An ambitious project known as Outernet is aiming to launch hundreds of miniature satellites into low Earth orbit by June 2015

Each satellite will broadcast the Internet to phones and computers giving billions of people across the globe free online access

Citizens of countries like China and North Korea that have censored online activity could be given free and unrestricted cyberspace 'There's really nothing that is technically impossible to this'

Known as Outernet, MDIF plans to launch hundreds of satellites into orbit by 2015.

And they say the project could provide unrestricted Internet access to countries where their web access is censored, including China and North Korea.

Using something known as datacasting technology, which involves sending data over wide radio waves, the New York-based company says they'll be able to broadcast the Internet around the world.

The group is hoping to raise tens of millions of dollars in donations to get the project on the road.

'There isn't a lot of raw research that is being done here; much of what is being described has already been proven by other small satellite programs and experiments.

There's really nothing that is technically impossible to this'

But at the prospect of telecoms operators trying to shut the project down before it gets off the ground, Karim said: 'We will fight... and win.'

If everything goes to plan, the Outernet project aims to ask NASA for permission to test the technology on the International Space Station.

And their ultimate goal will be to beginning deploying the Outernet satellites into Earth orbit, which they say can begin in June 2015.

https://www.outernet.is

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: china; corporateliberalism; internet; listentous; mdif; newyork; northkorea; outernet; pravdamedia; privacyrights; sitdownandshutup; wifi
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To: Hojczyk

Good. I hope it works. Free Wi-Fi would be nice.


61 posted on 02/17/2014 10:54:14 AM PST by Ray54
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To: Hojczyk

UNITED NATIONS TO DISCUSS ‘OUTERNET’ REGULATION, TAXATION


62 posted on 02/17/2014 11:25:28 AM PST by dasboot
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To: C210N

The existing WiFi frequencies go right through the atmosphere. How do I know? I have used them, as a ham radio operator, to communicate with satellites.


63 posted on 02/17/2014 11:27:42 AM PST by backwoods-engineer (Blog: www.BackwoodsEngineer.com)
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To: Gaffer
Correct. But then you have to have more circuitry from Doppler shift removal.

You don't know what you're talking about.

Doppler shift correction is in every smart phone, in the GPS. It's all software now.

64 posted on 02/17/2014 11:31:09 AM PST by backwoods-engineer (Blog: www.BackwoodsEngineer.com)
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To: Hojczyk

It would be better to place the equipment in every commercial airliner.... they are up high and have great line-of-sight range.


65 posted on 02/17/2014 11:35:02 AM PST by Bobalu (Happiness is a fast ISR)
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To: backwoods-engineer

All the ground-side devices need to transmit to the sat-side. This takes lots of power, especially if the ground antenna is not directed - an omni antenna. But, this could work when lithium ion batteries are replaced by fission or fusion batteries...


66 posted on 02/17/2014 11:38:07 AM PST by C210N (When people fear government there is tyranny; when government fears people there is liberty)
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To: Bobalu

That is the exact direction things are going in, except rather than beaming towards cell towers, they transmit/receive to satellites, to get the bandwidth needed... and the connectivity over the oceans and sparse land without cell towers.


67 posted on 02/17/2014 11:39:45 AM PST by C210N (When people fear government there is tyranny; when government fears people there is liberty)
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To: MortMan

Yeah, I wonder that myself. It is doable in theory because at 2400 Mc, the signals are line of sight but will the average PC or phone have enough “oomph” to talk to satellites? Maybe.... I know amateur radio operators have been on own to use even the standard rubber ducky antenna to hit the OSCAR satellites and the ISS as well have have reliable comms. I could probably do it with my Baofeng handheld. I’ve talked to Canada on 1 watt on my HT on 2 meters (144-148 Mc) using my rubber duck antenna at the edge of Lake Erie, the signal went 50 miles across the water and 30 miles into Ontario. I’d like to know more about this although I’m dubious if the average laptop’s signal can make it into space but IIRC, the early OSCAR satellite the hams made in the 1960’s put out like 10 to 100 mW of people and they could heat them so I assume the reverse can be true.


68 posted on 02/17/2014 11:57:53 AM PST by Nowhere Man (Mom I miss you! (8-20-1938 to 11-18-2013) Cancer sucks)
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To: backwoods-engineer

I made that point too, at 2400 Mc, I think it is doable. Heck, we hams have a band next to it at around 2300 Mc and that is a sat band too.


69 posted on 02/17/2014 11:59:07 AM PST by Nowhere Man (Mom I miss you! (8-20-1938 to 11-18-2013) Cancer sucks)
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To: Hojczyk

70 posted on 02/17/2014 12:05:51 PM PST by Manic_Episode (GOP = The Whig Party)
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To: Opinionated Blowhard

Step 1 in the evil alien plot to enslave humanity.

Cybus, Arch Angel Netowrk, Daleks, take your pick...


71 posted on 02/17/2014 12:12:35 PM PST by GraceG
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To: C210N

It would not be too difficult to use quad copters to provide connectivity across very large areas.

You could tether the vehicles to a simple ground station using a length of small, strong, twisted pair wire.

If you send high voltage AC up the wire there will be minimal loss and you can convert to lower voltage DC to run the quad copter’s motors and electronics.

Data could be sent up/down the twisted pair wire as well.

A height of say 500 or 1000 feet and you would get really good coverage....and communications between vehicles at altitude would be very long-range.

Extreme weather might be a problem from time to time but it’s still an interesting idea.


72 posted on 02/17/2014 12:18:34 PM PST by Bobalu (Happiness is a fast ISR)
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To: Bobalu

So, what might be the range for that?

High altitude VOR ranges are, what, in the 200 mile range?

That leaves 2600 miles to cover away from land on a 3000 mile trans-atlantic crossing.

Compare to using satellites, always overhead, any weather.


73 posted on 02/17/2014 12:38:35 PM PST by C210N (When people fear government there is tyranny; when government fears people there is liberty)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

Gives “distributed denial of service” a whole new meaning. Thanks Hojczyk.


74 posted on 02/17/2014 12:42:45 PM PST by SunkenCiv (http://www.freerepublic.com/~mestamachine/)
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To: C210N

Sats are, of course, much better. I was just considering what could be done on a small budget.

Ham operators are capable of creating the simple system I described.


75 posted on 02/17/2014 12:48:48 PM PST by Bobalu (Happiness is a fast ISR)
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To: null and void; I want the USA back
They are close in, that overcomes latencyNo it doesn't. I work with Iridium modems. Latency up and down is not the only problem. The each satellite has to then send your request... where? To a ground station. Currently on a network like Iridum that is done by bouncing your signal Satellite To satellite completely around the planet until you get to one single ground station. Arizona. So your latency depends on where you are. Satellite air time is really darn expensive. It would be cheaper (and better throughput) to buy everyone in the country a smartphone set to act as a access point. GSM is already more or less nation wide. The whole idea behind this article is laughable.
76 posted on 02/17/2014 1:05:14 PM PST by TalonDJ
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To: GeronL

Interesting. Linky?


77 posted on 02/17/2014 1:08:22 PM PST by upchuck (Stop this abuse now! Get behind Convention of States: http://bit.ly/1ak1Iz9)
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To: upchuck

They actually called to give me the offer


78 posted on 02/17/2014 4:23:49 PM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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To: upchuck

http://business.time.com/2011/08/10/comcasts-internet-essentials-10-a-month-service-for-low-income-families/


79 posted on 02/17/2014 4:24:48 PM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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To: GeronL

Thanks for the link. Here’s one that’s more current:
http://www.internetessentials.com/

Would be interesting to know if there are taxpayer funds involved.


80 posted on 02/17/2014 7:35:52 PM PST by upchuck (Stop this abuse now! Get behind Convention of States: http://bit.ly/1ak1Iz9)
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