Google Invests in Satellite Network to Provide Broadband Access

[dhilipkumar]

              Google's love of space is legendary, with the search, mapping and everything-else company recently in a deal for high-resolution satellite photos.

Now it's investing in a satellite network to provide Internet connections in emerging markets. Bloomberg reports Google is joining Liberty Global and HSBC Holdings in a $750 million project called O3b Networks that will launch 16 satellites. The three companies are putting in $60 million, so there's a lot of fund-raising to do yet on the project.

O3b stands for"the other 3 billion" people who don't have access to high-speed Internet service. The project is designed to provide that access to countries within 45 degrees of the equator, reports Financial Times.

The plan calls for the satellites to be operational by 2010, bringing Google plenty of new clicks for its $20 million investment, notes Silicon Alley Insider.