OneWeb

The internet- so vast, yet only 57% of the world is connected to it. This is where OneWeb comes into play. Four of the largest technology pioneering companies, Facebook, SpaceX, OneWeb, and Google, are individually planning to launch satellites, balloons, and unmanned aircraft, all working towards one common goal- to provide internet access to the entire world.

The brains behind the project is Greg Wyler, the leader of OneWeb. OneWeb will be launching 600 tiny satellites, to orbit earth at 750 miles high, as opposed the 22,000 mile orbit of the traditional internet providing satellites. The drastically lower orbit will provide much better speeds to customers. The estimated start date for the OneWeb project is 2019, and is expected to cost between $1.5 and $2 billion.

Similar to OneWeb, SpaceX will be launching many small satellites, to orbit at an altitude of 750 miles, to provide fast internet access. Since SpaceX has already mastered the art of rockets and space, their technology testing will begin next year, in 2016. For this project, SpaceX is funded by Google and Fidelity.

Google has taken a drastically different approach. Instead of launching satellites, Google will be launching balloons that will hover between 60,000 and 90,000 feet off the ground, and will operate for 100 days at a time. The balloons are solar powered, and would transmit internet signal back to the ground. As everyone knows, Google is always ahead of everyone else. That being said, Google is currently testing their balloon technology.

Lastly, Facebook has built an unmanned, Internet-broadcasting plane called Aquila. It is covered by solar cells, and has a wingspan of an astonishing 140 feet. It is designed to fly for 3 months at a time at an altitude of 60,000 feet. Internet will be delivered using lasers that will deliver high-speed internet within a 50-mile radius on the ground below. Facebook will be testing their technology in the coming months in real-world scenarios.

What does this mean to us? Right now, it seems like all will stay normal. However, down the line, how will ISPs react? Prices might rise, due to the several other means of internet access. Another position to consider is how will the introduction of these new services affect the company's already large operations? How will the prices compare? Only time will tell.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/30/tech/pioneers-google-facebook-spacex-oneweb-satellite-drone-balloon-internet/index.html