By Liam Tung, ZDNet
Google will spend north of $1bn to launch a fleet of 180 satellites to blanket unwired parts of earth with internet access, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Google project is said to be being led by Greg Wyler, the founder of satellite startup O3b Networks; Google participated in a $1.2bn funding round in the company back in 2010. O3b derives its name from the term “other 3 billion people” who lack broadband access either due to geography, political instability, or economics. With four satellites currently in orbit and four more set to launch in July, O3b currently provides backhaul to last-mile mobile network providers. According to the report, Google’s satellite plan could cost anywhere between $1bn and $3bn, with the project being led by Wyler with the support of up to 20 people, including O3b’s chief technology officer Brian Holz, who reportedly joined Google this week.
http://www.zdnet.com/google-to-launch-180-satellites-in-1bn-plan-to-cover-the-unwired-7000030095/
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