Elon Musk Plans to Launch 4,425 Satellites to provide Global Internet from Space
Nov 18, 2016
Big tech companies, including Facebook, Google, and Microsoft, are in the race of bringing Internet connectivity to unconnected parts of the world through wireless devices , flying drones , high-altitude balloons, and laser beams . But, SpaceX founder Elon Musk has big plans for bringing low-cost Internet service worldwide, and it all starts in space. Private rocket launch service SpaceX has asked the U.S. government for permission to launch 4,425 satellites in orbit to beam high-speed Internet down to the world, according to a newly filed application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). That's a hell of a lot of satellites; in fact, the figure surpasses the total number of satellites in the Earth's orbit. Here's what the company's 102-page technical document reads: "The system is designed to provide a wide range of broadband and communications services for residential, commercial, institutional, governmental and professional users world