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Space Race 2.0: Avanti claims headstart in bringing Africa online (editor comments below article)
South Africa Created: 14 Jul 2015
Avanti Communications has already made it into orbit in its mission to improve global internet coverage, the company's chief executive tells Sophie Curtis
The second great space race is underway. This time, rather than putting a man on the moon, the aim is to make internet access available to the two-thirds of the world that are not yet connected.
The primary target is Africa, a continent with a land mass the size of the USA, China, India and Europe put together, but with a population of 1.1bn – less than India alone. The dispersed population means that traditional methods of internet delivery, such as laying fibre cables in the ground, are often expensive and impractical.
Satellite broadband provides a more economical solution because, although it is expensive to build and launch satellites, once they are in orbit they can provide internet access over vast areas, and rather than digging up the ground or erecting masts, a satellite dish is all that is required to receive a signal.
Several companies have caught onto this idea. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has announced his intention to bring internet to parts of the world that are currently unconnected as part of his Internet.org initiative.
Meanwhile, Sir Richard Branson is supporting WorldVu's OneWeb project, which aims to put 648 micro-satellites into low Earth orbit to provide high-speed internet and telephone services, and Google has teamed up with SpaceX, founded by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, which has a similar plan to provide internet access from space.
However, one British company is way ahead of the game. Avanti Communications, a London-based satellite operator, already has a satellite in space covering large parts of Africa – including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi – known as Hylas 2.
Another satellite, Hylas 3, will be live for commercial service in 2016, and Hylas 4 will launch in 2017, completing Avanti’s coverage of Sub-Saharan Africa.
“From the outset, Avanti’s business model was about Africa. The reason for that is the economics, the teledensity, the demographics of Africa strongly favour satellite,” said David Williams, chief executive and co-founder of Avanti.
“You also have a rapidly-growing middle class with the emergence of revenues from offshore oil and gas production, and growing demand for mining products. There’s plenty of capital in Africa now, so we think we’re in the right place.”
Mr Williams was interested in space from a young age. In 1969, aged just three months, he sat in front of the TV at home in Wales and watched Neil Armstrong take his first steps on the moon.
He went on to study economics at Leeds University, and after a two-year stint as the frontman of a rock band called The Watchmen, Mr Williams ended up moving to London and getting a job in the City, working for JPMorgan Chase. He was still keen to pursue his musical dream, but found he had no time to form a band.
“It was around that time that some kids I was at school with became famous. They were called Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon, and I watched Blur become the biggest band in the world thinking, I wish I’d done that,” said Mr Williams. “So I had this latent need to do something a bit more rock-and-roll than banking.”
For the Daily Telegraph by Sophie Curtis.
Read the whole article at Source:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/broadband/11731340/Space-Race-2.0-Avanti-claims-headstart-in-bringing-Africa-online.html

Comments by editor: Agnes
Hi all.
This is truly bone chilling, they (Telecommunications Industry) are being "Handed/Given" our Planet and the space which surrounds it for free!
Since when did the earth/air/space we all share become the "Property"! of Capital Exploiters?
And, Just as Important, WHO has given the go ahead which allows them to use our Environment and surrounding space in such a way??
Ask yourself who, but please don´t stop there, ask the "People In Power" ie our Governments, councilors, MP´s and all in power.
I cannot recall having been asked, I bet you cannot either, But, very Importantly: We are the Inhabitants here! Its Our PLANET AND OUR NEAR ATMOSPHERE SPACE, someone is giving to the Capital Exploiters!
This will mean Electromagnetic Microwave Radiation radiating on us, not just from the Huge Structures of the phone masts but also from above!
There will be No Respite Anywhere!
I include here a link to a You Tube demonstration of the sounds of Wi-Fi which goes on to demonstrate sounds of Other Wireless EMR´s which are now a part of the EMR SOUP, which we call "Airwaves" and where we all need to live our lives.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKeSGmp4F4c

This is powerful stuff!
Click here to view the source article.
Source: Agnes Ingvarsdottir

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