- January 20, 2015
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Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, and Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, chose the same week to announce that they are investing in satellites with internet claiming to offer globally at low cost.
This would provide service to more than half the world’s population today has access to it.
The founder of the Virgin Group, which encompasses the company to operate and market space flight Virgin Galactic, the Virgin Atlantic Airways and Virgin Music label, among other companies-was the first of the two to break the news.
On Wednesday, the British billionaire reported to be one of the initial investors OneWeb company, which plans to put small satellites into orbit 648 for this purpose.
He did through his Twitter account.
And Musk soon do the same.
also founded the payment service Paypal already reported, also through networks social, the company that manages space transportation is developing “advanced microsatellite” that orbit the earth in large groups
Also read:. “Internet is a fundamental right”
But it was Friday when he made the announcement to the press during the inauguration of the new office of the company in Seattle, United States.
According to Musk, all employees of that office, between 50 and 60 engineers will work on this latest project.
And in two or three years staff dedicated to it reach the thousand.
What is known and what is not
At first glance, both projects seem similar.
Although, at present, of which details are taken is supporting Virgin, OneWeb.
According to the CEO of the company, Greg Wyler, the project involves the construction of 648 satellites, each weighing about 135 kilos, unlike weighing tons which are now in orbit.
will be built on an assembly line and not one by one, as usual.
The signal emitted by these will receive thousands of receivers positioned throughout the world.
And these, in turn, will provide the internet and telephony users.
Wyler estimated that each “microsatellite” will cost $ 135,000, and the project total about US $ 10,000 million.
In addition, the Virgin Group does not is the sole investor. It has also its part, the US telecommunications company Qualcomm. And still looking for a third.
Meanwhile, Musk said his project will cost about US $ 10,000 million and take five years to be realized.
The employer did not specify the amount of ” advanced microsatellite “plans to build and put into orbit.
Nor has confirmed whether Google is one of the investors of the project.
Several specialized media, pointing to sources close to but without identifying the company have reported that the giant internet service is negotiating an investment of US $ 1,000 million with Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX’s full name) for this particular initiative.
It is well known Google’s interest in global service network. To do launched Project Loon, a project based on balloons internet signal emitted from the stratosphere.
However, the company has not commented on a possible investment in the project Musk.
Great potential
Market Whatever the details, both projects aim at the same market: about 3,000 million potential users today do not have access Internet data -are the International Telecommunications Union United Nations, and the market that implies.
Although the ads have another tone.
The people who today have no access to education can receive education and who wants to create jobs may develop business in connection with the rest of the world “
” Virgin Galactic always planned a space online to bring positive change to the world and both commercial spaceflight and satellite constellations have the potential to transform lives in a way that no other company has yet achieved “Branson wrote in his blog.
With OneWeb” the People today do not have access to education can receive education (via internet), “he added.
” And people who want to create jobs may develop new business in connection with the rest of the world. “
The company explained that, besides providing internet, satellites work together with telephone operators, which allow these now extend its coverage to remote rural areas.
Also, this would increase rapid response in emergencies and natural disasters.
On the possible success of these projects, however, experts are divided.
“It’s hard to make this a successful business, “said Roger Rusch regard, industry consultant and president of satellite TelAstra.
Meanwhile, Giles Thorne, telecoms analyst at Jefferies US investment group, is at least” irresistible “.
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