Internet: the first satellite constellation for broadband - Corriere della Sera

using Ka-band (18-40 GHz).

Internet: the first satellite constellation for broadband

Created by O3b, had been a dream of Bill Gates

Into It was the dream of Bill Gates, but impossible at the time. In the mid-nineties Microsoft founder was passionate about the idea of ??satellite internet. So much so that he agreed to give off a huge project now investing $ 10 million to start the project. The goal was to launch a constellation of satellites and even 840 so the terrestrial network would materialize thanks to a parallel satellite network. The dream proved unfeasible (both for investment and for technology) has vanished as quickly as it was born. It’s been almost twenty years, and heavily revised that idea became reality Monday at 20:53 (Italian time) with the first four satellites O3b just dedicated to the use of satellite Internet using the Ka-band (18-40 GHz). But the launch of the Russian Soyuz rocket has been postponed due to high winds on the French Guyana.

Satellites for broadband

TWELVE SATELLITES – It’s the first quartet of a constellation of twelve satellites that will be completed by early 2014. The second group will be sent to heaven in fact within the current year. So far had been launched rare individual satellites dedicated to broadband Ka (eg Kasat of Eutelsateuropeo in 2010 and ViaSat American the following year), but the real leap into the possibilities is accomplished now with O3b, the name of the company founded in 2007 by Greg Wyler, an acronym derived from the initials of (The) Other 3 Billion, where the three Billion representing the population of the world today that does not have access to the Internet. The constellation will instead be able to reach it.

INTERNET – The company O3b Networks baptized could enter Google, HSBC, Ses World Skies, John Malone, the tycoon of cable TV, plus other companies and banking groups. The satellites heavy 700 kg, are placed on high orbits 8,000 km (thus closer than the precursor satellites that are in geostationary orbit 36,000 kilometers). The constellation will serve mainly Internet service providers and mobile operators providing high speed (similar to that of fiber optic networks), low costs and, of course, the Internet and telecommunications services to the residents and to the markets of emerging countries.

THE ITALIAN CONTRIBUTION – The satellites cover with their antennae the end of the Earth between latitudes 45 degrees North and 45 degrees South, that is to say, throughout most of the world inhabited. Each beam transmission uphill traveling at 300 Mbps and each beam down (to 100 Mbps) gets to cover a wide circular 600 kilometers. Nine gateways are distributed across the continents, and they can connect to the regional fiber optic infrastructure. The satellites were made in clean rooms of Thales Alenia Space in Rome, became the largest assembly line satellite in the world. Here more than twelve O3b will produce 81 Next Iridium and Globalstar 24 II. The whole organizing an innovative production system which includes halls also test facilities. So exit the satellites are ready to be shipped to the launch base.