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ARTHUR GOLDSTUCK: Satellite broadband’s time has come
Satellite services can be offered in areas where there is no terrestrial infrastructure
Once upon a time, before there was mobile data, and when the internet was something delivered over cables and wires, the satellite was regarded as the perfect way to fill massive gaps in connectivity. The problem with that business model was that, well, there was no viable business model. It was expensive to get those gadgets into space, the devices that could receive the transmissions cost almost as much, subscribing to satellite data services was unthinkable outside government and big business, and the user experience was dismal. This didn't stop Motorola subsidiary Iridium putting 66 satellites in orbit in the late 1990s. Lo and behold, the gift from above was turned down by mortals. Iridium couldn't even generate enough revenue to service its debt, let alone cover its cost. It was the US's biggest bankruptcy until then. What a difference two decades make. In the past few years, satellite technology has quietly undergone a revolution almost on a par with that of smartphones. It's...
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