Elon Musk Launching Network of 700 Internet Providing Satellites

Elon Musk, the entrepreneur who is no stranger to talking about artificial intelligence or making ventures involved with space exploration using SpaceX as a launching business vehicle has yet another business plan in the early stages.

Costing just a trifle at a mere $10 billion, Musk plans to launch 700 satellites into orbit around the Earth providing internet access around the world at internet speeds faster than what is currently possible via land-based fiber optic cables.

Using the SpaceX delivery vehicles, he is already able to start deploying satellites into space without the need to get help from NASA or another international space agency to do so.

Satellites put into orbit for the delivery of internet service is not actually a new thing. There are space-based internet services in Thailand in SE Asia and elsewhere around the planet. They are mostly useful to access difficult to get to locations where fiber optic cabling and even a 4G WiMax wireless broadband service would be inadvisable either due to the terrain or the cost per subscriber to service the area. What is surprising with this latest business venture from Elon Musk is the sheer number of satellites planned.

The plans for the satellites were discussed by Musk at the SpaceX convention held in Seattle a few days ago. Whilst providing satellite based internet access to the people of the Earth is on the cards, the technology enthusiast would not rule out the possibility of beaming internet access over to Mars if the planet became populated in later years so those addicted to their social media updated need not fret too much just yet. The idea of data transmissions is of course not a new thing as the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station regularly beamed data streams back down to Earth stations.

Each satellite will weigh 250 pounds and need to produced at low cost in order to make the project viable. The satellites will each orbit the Earth at a 75 miles distance. Internet speeds are expected to be quite decent by today's standards, however the latency is likely to be high so ping rates won't be suitable for people who expect almost instant response times. Therefore, someone gaming in a remote location will not be using this service to frag virtual enemies in Battlefield 4.

The project is also in the developmental stage and is expected to be completed in about five years' time.