Important Innovations

Global Broadband Internet Access                             Source:  NASA Satellite Constellations Amazon Competing Against Space X Amazon is investing $10 billion to build a network of 3,236 satellites to provide high speed, broadband internet services to people around the world, including those who lack access.  The announcement comes within a day of Amazon posting the biggest profits in its 26 year history. FCC Approval for the Satellite System The Federal Communications Commission just gave Amazon approval for its Project Kuiper for a constellation of low earth orbit satellites.  The Amazon satellite network is in direct competition with SpaceX's Starlink.  SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has already launched more than 500 satellites into low earth orbit to provide inexpensive global internet access.  He plans for a system of 12,000 satellites.  Starlink will start offering broadband services to the US and Canada by the end of this year. Crowded Skies Amazon says its system will also ben

Internet for Everyone, Everywhere Source:  OneWeb OneWeb The United Kingdom and an Indian telecom giant are going into the satellite business together.  The British government and Bharti Enterprises have bought OneWeb satellite company for $1 billion. The company was founded by US entrepreneur Greg Wyler with the purpose of providing internet everywhere to everyone with 648 low Earth satellites in orbit. Rolling the Space Dice This is a new lease on life for OneWeb and a gamble with potentially big payouts for the UK and Bharti.  OneWeb was purchased out of bankruptcy by the UK and Bharti within the past week.  OneWeb filed for backruptcy late in March 2020 after its biggest financial backer SoftBank refused to provide anymore funding.  At the time of the filing, OneWeb had 74 satellites in orbit. UK Mission and Goals The UK is looking to add positioning technology to new satellites in order to beef up the American GPS system it uses.  It's also replacing bandwid