Facebook May Convey Hole-And-Corner Plans To Construct A Satellite-Based Internet

Does this brand network neutrality arguments moot?

From IEEE Spectrum:

Public filings suggest the social media giant is quietly developing orbital tech to competition efforts past times SpaceX in addition to OneWeb to deliver Internet past times satellite

Facebook may shortly bring together SpaceX in addition to OneWeb inwards the rush to deliver Internet from orbit.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 filing amongst the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) final calendar week revealed details of a multi-million dollar experimental satellite from a stealthy companionship called PointView Tech LLC. The satellite, named Athena, volition deliver information 10 times faster than SpaceX’s Starlink Internet satellites, the root of which launched inwards February.

However, PointView appears to be solely on paper. In fact, the tiny companionship seems to live on a novel subsidiary of Facebook, formed final twelvemonth to snuff it along hugger-mugger the social media giant’s plans to tempest space.

Many technology scientific discipline companies believe the hereafter of the Internet is orbital. Around one-half the people on the planet lack a broadband Internet connection, peculiarly those who alive inwards rural areas in addition to developing nations. SpaceX aims to seat nearly 12,000 Starlinks into depression public range (LEO), to deliver gigabit-speed Internet to most of the Earth’s surface. Rival OneWeb, funded past times Japan’s SoftBank, chipmaker Qualcomm, in addition to Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, plans like global coverage using peradventure 2,500 LEO satellites.

In early on 2019, PointView’s Athena volition too caput out to LEO, on an Arianespace Vega rocket. Athena is nearly the same size in addition to weight (150 kg) equally SpaceX in addition to OneWeb’s satellites, simply Athena volition purpose high-frequency millimeter-wave radio signals that hope much faster information rates. The companionship estimates its E-band organisation volition deliver upwardly to 10 gigabits per second. “PointView is aiming to sympathise whether a... organisation using E-band spectrum tin live on used for the provision of fixed in addition to mobile broadband access inwards unserved in addition to underserved areas,” it wrote inwards the FCC application.

Space companies based inwards the USA must become permission from the FCC earlier launching, in addition to oftentimes start edifice satellites in addition to terra firma stations long earlier they file their paperwork. “PointView has begun structure of the proposed satellite facilities at its ain risk,” says its application. “It notified the Commission... inwards writing that it planned to start out structure at its ain opportunity inwards July 2016.”

However, according to records inwards Delaware, the companionship was solely incorporated at that topographic point inwards Apr 2017. PointView has filed no annual reports in addition to has no named directors or shareholders. Instead, a newspaper trail leads to Facebook inwards California.

To start, PointView Tech has the same corporate agent inwards Delaware equally other Facebook subsidiaries, including FCL Tech Inc., the companionship that managed its early on connectivity tests. PointView’s application to the FCC was too filed past times the same Washington, D.C. constabulary firm—and fifty-fifty the same lawyer—that wrote previous Facebook FCC applications. (The constabulary theater did non response to requests for comment).

Image: PointView Tech This map from a recent FCC filing shows the Athena satellite's proposed path (red), the 

areas inwards which it could live on contacted (yellow), in addition to the expanse inwards which it could post information dorsum downwards to public (green).

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