Yes, you read correctly, Outernet is a project carried out by the American NGO Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF), which aims to offer Internet service to the entire world from space.
Its 4 basic principles are:
- Globally accessible data no restrictions.
- Content of quality for everyone on the Internet.
- Available for all humanity.
- By Delivery to Italy takes one or two business days.
By taking advantage of data dissemination technology through a constellation of low-cost satellites, Outernet wants to try to circumvent censorship, ensure privacy and offer a universally accessible information service at no cost to the citizens of the world.
In his web page, include article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which reads as follows: ""Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and disseminate information and ideas by any means and regardless of borders.""
They also explain in it that there are more computing devices in the world than people, however, only 60% of the world's population has access to the wealth of knowledge found on the Internet. The price of smartphones and tablets is decreasing year on year, but the price of Internet in many parts of the world remains unaffordable for a large portion of the world's citizens. In some places, such as rural areas and remote regions, cell towers simply do not exist. The main objective of Outernet is toe everyone can have access to global information.
The operation of this project will consist of a low-cost constellation, small satellites in Earth orbit. Each satellite will receive data streams from a network of ground stations and transmit the data in a continuous loop until new content is received. In order to serve the widest possible audience, the entire constellation will use protocols based on globally accepted standards, such as DVB, Digital Radio Mondiale, and UDP-based WiFi multicast.
Outernet's plan is to begin testing the system in June 2015. If all goes well, the NGO hopes that at the end of this year NASA will grant them permission to launch the first Cube Sats from the International Space Station.
