Can a swarm of low-flying satellites connect the 60% of humans who don’t have internet access?
The dream of a totally connected world is still out of reach. The first tech bubble produced schemes to link the world with satellite internet, but they failed spectacularly. Now, companies like OneWeb and SpaceX want to try again—do they stand a chance?
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This week’s episode explores the race for satellite internet. We speak to telecom entrepreneur Greg Wyler, the founder and chairman of OneWeb, about his company’s plans to launch hundreds of new internet satellites. We also spoke to Dziffa-Akua Ametam, who operates an e-commerce company in Ghana, about what cheaper, faster internet could mean in her country. Tim Farrar, a satellite industry consultant, shared his expertise and an inside look at the failed satellite efforts of the 1990s.
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Actuality is a joint production of Quartz and Marketplace. Every two weeks, we’ll explore the inner workings of the new global economy, combining the best of our economic smarts.