Google & Others Bringing Internet To 3 Billion People

[HardOCP News]

Google is teaming up with HSBC bank and Liberty Global to back a start-up called O3b Networks. The O3b stands for “other three billion,” the people currently under served or living in remote locations in need of decent internet access.

The effort has begun initial production of 16 low-cost satellites that collectively will provide an Internet backbone to places lacking high-speed networking cable, including emerging markets in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East, O3b said. The satellites will link with ground stations such as cell towers or WiMax stations that actually reach the customers.

 

[jandar]

Too bad they are ignoring the million of Americans that are still stuck on dial up.

 

[strife1012]

Yeah, we could care less that HIV, Famine, Sanitation, Power, and Literacy affects a large amount of the "Other 3 Billion"

Google CEO: "Hey lets give them Internet, and send them ads so our revenue shoot through the roof, and show off how we Americans live."

Priorities were never thought out.

 

[Fharakin]

I have to agree, how about they help build infrastructure like plumbing, electric, roads...screw the internet, its just going to give the bots one more place to hide,.

 

[CaptNumbNutz]

Do they not realize how many more people they would help if they used that same amount of money and bought food for these same people? Hell, they could probably feed all of Ethiopia.

These people are starving to death, yet we will be offering them all the porn they can ever handle.

 

[SockMan!]

Google isn't in the business of fixing roads or providing food.

 

[Cerulean]

Too bad they are ignoring the million of Americans that are still stuck on dial up.

Was going to mention that... :\

 

[Azhar]

it amazes me how everytime someone reaches out to help the less fortunates you hear bickering and whining on this side of the pond, like you guys.

Google is an internet based company first and foremost. Providing infrastructure based on internet and internet services is what they do best. You want third world countries to eat? Go bug the farmers. You want them to have an education? Go bug the teachers. You want them to have buildings? Go bug the architects and carpenters and masonries. You want stability and world order? Go bug their government.

Seriously guys, unless you can contribute as much as these giants can, shut your fucking mouth. Bunch of selfish gits, I swear.

 

[twoeyes]

Google isn't in the business of fixing roads or providing food.

Seconded.

Can I ask which one of you recently invested your life savings in HFH (habitat for humanity)? In a capitalist society, investing in an NPO is not. smart. business. You can choose to either live with this, or move to china. I hear they provide a lot more government hand outs, and everyone is able to poop in a toilet. Oh. Wait. Thats my rice I was going to eat for dinner.

Google is obviously making this decision based on the assumption it will one day increase their client base. I am happy they are thinking this far into the future, unlike so many other American companies such as GMC, whose crystal ball was apprently undergoing hurricane season about 5 years ago.

Google is a great American asset, and as an American I'm happy to see them making smart choices for the future. Handing out toilets and rice, however heart warming at the moment, is not a move we should expect, or even want google to make beyond of course, a reasonable contribution that all companies make to such relief causes. But remember, handing out food and water is a RELIEF effort, not a solution.

 

[SamuraiInBlack]

Well, as a wise old man (I think he was a hobo) once told me:

If you really gave a shit, you'd be suffering right next to them in the effort to make their lives better, not expecting someone richer than you to cut a check for them to soothe YOUR guilty conscience.

 

[BinarySynapse]

Well, as a wise old man (I think he was a hobo) once told me:

If you really gave a shit, you'd be suffering right next to them in the effort to make their lives better, not expecting someone richer than you to cut a check for them to soothe YOUR guilty conscience.

Tha'ts some bullshit if I ever heard it. I have to give up what I've worked hard for to truly help someone in need? All that does is make two people who are suffering, where's the good in that?

 

[The-One]

Well, as a wise old man (I think he was a hobo) once told me:

If you really gave a shit, you'd be suffering right next to them in the effort to make their lives better, not expecting someone richer than you to cut a check for them to soothe YOUR guilty conscience.

Okay, so if my family member was dying of an illness. You would want me to die with them instead of fighting to get aid to the cause? It must have been a hobo that said that because it's some real crazy talk. You can only help someone if you have the opportunity to help someone. WE always want the rich people to do it because they have less to lose then we do. One really rich person can do more then 5 poor people and the poor people would have to sacrifice more to do less. Money(2nd + 1st) is the only motivator in this world besides family(1st) and friends(3rd). So money is the only thing that gets anything moving in the right direction.

 

[evanisthecoastie]

I think he meant suffering/working hard to help them out, not just give them a handout, actually DO something

 

[evanisthecoastie]

(fake edit) Like the people who do the missionary work and stuff

 

[NeoNemesis]

It's Google's money, let them do whatever they want with it. If they want to use it to give everyone the internet then let them. If you're that concerned about starvation in Ethiopia then YOU go donate some of your hard earned cash.

Honestly, I think improving the technological infrastructure of a country will do more to help its population in the long run than temporary treating a single symptom of their poverty.

 

[Eseipel]

If I was in agriculture, and saw millions of people without food and say..my tomatoes were rotting, perhaps I would give them food. Google is in the tech department, and as such has more influence / resources devoted and thus are able to contribute in the best possible way via providing internet service.

Although I guess they would be better at providing them a search engine.
But they need internet to access the search engine.

 

[The-One]

(fake edit) Like the people who do the missionary work and stuff

I think we understand that those people are very helpful. That of course is trumped by a single check from the right person. The pursuit of extreme wealth is what ruins lives and the lack of money is what ruins lives. Balance is the key. Giving some guy a job sweeping floors won't really help him out with his true problem, it will just make him go away. Corporate greed is the biggest problem we have. Google and HSBC would be doing it for their own benefit, not the people they claim to be doing it for. Right there is the only proof one should need. Why would a corporation do something that they can't benefit from? Answer = they don't. So...

It's Google's money, let them do whatever they want with it. If they want to use it to give everyone the internet then let them. If you're that concerned about starvation in Ethiopia then YOU go donate some of your hard earned cash.

Honestly, I think improving the technological infrastructure of a country will do more to help its population in the long run than temporary treating a single symptom of their poverty.

So my money is the same as Googles money? Ummm, No, not even close. My money is hard earned, their money is easy revenue.

 

[BinarySynapse]

I think we understand that those people are very helpful. That of course is trumped by a single check from the right person. The pursuit of extreme wealth is what ruins lives and the lack of money is what ruins lives. Balance is the key. Giving some guy a job sweeping floors won't really help him out with his true problem, it will just make him go away. Corporate greed is the biggest problem we have. Google and HSBC would be doing it for their own benefit, not the people they claim to be doing it for. Right there is the only proof one should need. Why would a corporation do something that they can't benefit from? Answer = they don't. So...





So my money is the same as Googles money? Ummm, No, not even close. My money is hard earned, their money is easy revenue.

Everybody is selfish. Nobody does anything unless there's some benefit to themselves, not even Mother Theresa. Google's trying to help people out, who cares that they'll make a buck from it. And honestly, there's a huge chance that they'll fail miserably and lose a lot of money in this deal. So it's not such "easy money".

Don't be so bitter because you have to work hard for your money and didn't get in on a genius idea that ensured monetary stability for you, your kids, and your grandkids.

 

[The-One]

Everybody is selfish. Nobody does anything unless there's some benefit to themselves, not even Mother Theresa. Google's trying to help people out, who cares that they'll make a buck from it. And honestly, there's a huge chance that they'll fail miserably and lose a lot of money in this deal. So it's not such "easy money".

Don't be so bitter because you have to work hard for your money and didn't get in on a genius idea that ensured monetary stability for you, your kids, and your grandkids.

So there is no point ever when an organization can have too much money? Giving someone that can't pay his electricity bill or doesn't have electricity the INTERNET is kinda useless don't you think ? I do.

When greed is the engine, the vehicle isn't going anywhere that betters anybody but the people driving the vehicle.

 

[BinarySynapse]

So there is no point ever when an organization can have too much money? Giving someone that can't pay his electricity bill or doesn't have electricity the INTERNET is kinda useless don't you think ? I do.

When greed is the engine, the vehicle isn't going anywhere that betters anybody but the people driving the vehicle.

No, I don't believe there is a point when an organization has too much money. That's just a bullshit guilt-trip thrown out by people who don't have it. Money isn't the answer to everything, but it damn sure helps to get things done when you need.

Don't you think the infrastructure that internet service needs would require some jobs to build and maintain? There's also going to have to be some support for subscribers... so that means more jobs. More electricity is going to be used, so that means more jobs upgrading / implementing and maintaining an electric grid. Is this going to be an overnight revolution in these areas? Noo, no one said that it would be. But it's a gets them moving in a direction that lets them at least be heading toward catching up with the rest of the world.

 

[Nemesis999]

Yeah, we could care less that HIV, Famine, Sanitation, Power, and Literacy affects a large amount of the "Other 3 Billion"

Google CEO: "Hey lets give them Internet, and send them ads so our revenue shoot through the roof, and show off how we Americans live."

Priorities were never thought out.

Do they not realize how many more people they would help if they used that same amount of money and bought food for these same people? Hell, they could probably feed all of Ethiopia.

These people are starving to death, yet we will be offering them all the porn they can ever handle.

Do you hippies even attempt to think? or are you too busy toking the peace pipe?

Here's a hint.

What happens when an animal's food source greatly increases?

Can't figure it out? Their population explodes until they again die of starvation.

It's called a limiting factor of population. No matter how many fucking retards toss them food, they'll just die at a faster rate 10 years from now. Food will NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER solve the problem, it will ALWAYS make it worse in the long run. Cure aids? Cure HIV? That's great, now they can die of starvation even more so as their population explodes. Stop with the retarded ideas. They're all a waste of money. NOTHING can help people in the long run but education.

Now for the final test!

What is the MOST powerful tool that the human race has for mass distribution of knowledge? Waiiiiit for it! Waiiiiiiiit for it!... THE INTERNET.

 

[Ockie]

Great, so we should expect to see a dramatic increase in nigerian scam emails?

 

[QHalo]

So my money is the same as Googles money? Ummm, No, not even close. My money is hard earned, their money is easy revenue.

I laughed at this and I'm sure you know why. Comparing your work to someone else's work is pretty pathetic. As if they were just handed such a company that brings in those revenues. As if someone didn't work their ass off for the money they get now after building that company.

The revenues they pull in now are the sum of all the hard work they've put in. Buncha haters around here.

 

[ianken]

"...Buncha haters around here."

QFT.

WTF is wrong with people? Google makes a decision that will allow them to do what they are good at, while perhaps helping others while making a long term investment that may or may not pay off in the long run. That's called business.

Perhaps when the GOOG guys get bored like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet they can turn their piles of cash towards charity. But that's their call.

For the whiners here to bitch about how others spend their money, well that's just fuckin' pathetic. Put up or shut up. If you can do it better then do it. Otherwise STFU.

Fuck, I cannot believe I just defended GOOG. I hate GOOG.

 

[gaspah]

cool... 3 billion more people will now have access how to create drugs, explosives and google streetview to plan attacks!! thanx google

 

[The-One]

"...Buncha haters around here."

QFT.

WTF is wrong with people? Google makes a decision that will allow them to do what they are good at, while perhaps helping others while making a long term investment that may or may not pay off in the long run. That's called business.

Perhaps when the GOOG guys get bored like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet they can turn their piles of cash towards charity. But that's their call.

For the whiners here to bitch about how others spend their money, well that's just fuckin' pathetic. Put up or shut up. If you can do it better then do it. Otherwise STFU.

Fuck, I cannot believe I just defended GOOG. I hate GOOG.

Bullshit at it's finest. I can't do it better but I can also see Google will not do a damn thing except make more money. They don't give a flying fuck about those people. The will just see profit and that's it.

 

[stoney_titan]

This will get nailed like the "a notebook for every child" or whatever plan. Give the internets to us and we'll cut the check to those countries for food.

 

[QHalo]

Bullshit at it's finest. I can't do it better but I can also see Google will not do a damn thing except make more money. They don't give a flying fuck about those people. The will just see profit and that's it.

Which is the bottom line of any business, make more money. What companies decide to do with their money is their own agenda. There's always a means to an end. Will it help these people? Who knows but at least someone's trying. I guess it's just cool to hate big business.

 

[BinarySynapse]

Which is the bottom line of any business, make more money. What companies decide to do with their money is their own agenda. There's always a means to an end. Will it help these people? Who knows but at least someone's trying. I guess it's just cool to hate big business.

I think he's trying to say that once a business has X amount of money that it should no longer try to grow and just give it's money away for zero gain.

 

[QHalo]

I think he's trying to say that once a business has X amount of money that it should no longer try to grow and just give it's money away for zero gain.

But Google isn't a non-profit. So why argue essentially to that point? You guys probably flame ExxonMobile for giving $1.5 million to Gustav relief too.

 

[QHalo]

Sorry didn't mean to lump you in with that post, I realize you were only trying to convey his point. So please don't take it as such.

 

[RussianHAXOR]

I have to agree, how about they help build infrastructure like plumbing, electric, roads...screw the internet, its just going to give the bots one more place to hide,.

Cuz that always gets destroyed by wars... satelites dont.