Help buy a satellite to bring cheap Internet to places that don’t have it yet? $150K needed. at STRANGE TIMES

Published

on December 7, 2010

. 3 Comments

This organisation is raising $150K from people online to start buying a satellite so they can bring cheap and free Internet to the five billion people who don’t already have it. You can donate here, and find out more about the plans here.

1 Dalec
December 11, 2010 at 4:41 pm

I hear the Sydney harbour Bridge is going cheap too.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/12/02/terrestar_satellite/
2 youngmarxist
December 11, 2010 at 5:17 pm

Lovely to see your snarling face again, too, Dalek. I’m now inspired to write articles doing easy knock-downs of big ideas. Thanks!
3 Dalec
December 13, 2010 at 11:06 am

Y.M It would be an excellent thing if this scheme was in any way practical.
Firstly the move of the satellite will take years, it may not even have enough fuel on board to do this.
Note that the funds are to prepare a business plan to seek funding from governments etc. They are not to “help buy” a satellite.
There is also the question of the existing customers, the litigation for a settlement could go on for many years.
Oh and then there are the ground stations, they are not just simple “modems” they must have an antenna and need power.
If som-one really wanted to improve the conditioons in PNG and Africa they would install village based communal lighting and power systems for a start, then there would be a driver for a community owned satellite serviceand connection to the net.
Dalec