More than half of world’s population doesn’t use internet. Most of this population is based in developing countries, where there is either no infrastructure to access internet or the populace, at large, simply can’t afford it. Google now intends to remedy it by aiding in the development of wireless networks in emerging markets.
The company hasn’t formally cited any such plans, though many ‘sources’ close to Google have affirmed that such a strategy is in place. It is unclear as to how exactly will Google tackle the lack of connectivity in different areas.
People familiar with the plan say that the search giant intends to deploy different strategies for different regions. For instance, in some areas, Google plans to make use of such frequencies which are usually reserved for TV broadcast. To make this happen, Google will have to get the green signal from the local authorities.
The company may also partner with different telecom giants in the developing countries so that it can use their infrastructure and offer wireless networks in such areas which are removed from urban centers. The whole idea is to bring wireless networks to rural areas where people simply have no way to access the web.
We are also told that Google may make use of satellite-based networks in some regions. In all, the company will be relying on a whole plethora of technologies and solutions to make this dream come true. There is certainly a huge potential for Google in the developing markets, in terms of the billions who are still not hooked to the internet.
If the company is able to materialize this plan, it can then couple it with it’s own cheap Android tablet and smartphone offerings, thus bringing a sizeable portion of the untapped populace into its Google ecosystem.
Source: WSJ
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