Moneywise
The cost of web service:
A big bet on satellites
Satellites will soon bring speedier web service to users across the globe, including areas of the world that lack coverage. Over the next few years, California-based satellite operator ViaSat will launch a series of satellites to offer faster Internet to folks in remote locations, according to Kiplinger.com.
Another company, OneWeb, based in Virginia, will launch a constellation of more than 600 small satellites in low-Earth orbit to blanket the globe with broadband. It will be operational by 2020. Facebook, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and other digital companies stand to profit from these efforts as they help the more than 4 billion people without internet start to get connected.
The heated competition among satellite firms spells lower prices for businesses and consumers. Big players are trying to fend off upstarts, backed by billions of dollars in funding, as satellite operators race to meet rising demand for high-speed, data-heavy uses.
The result: a glut of capacity that will drive down prices for many satellite services, from broadband to phones, for companies in oil & gas, aviation, maritime industries, agriculture and more, according to Kiplinger.
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Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
