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Connecting the other half: Exploring options for the 50% of the population unconnected to the internet

Author

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  • del Portillo, Inigo
  • Eiskowitz, Skylar
  • Crawley, Edward F.
  • Cameron, Bruce G.

Abstract

As of the end of 2019, 46.4% of the world's population does not have regular access to the Internet. Bringing the more than 3.5 billion individuals still unconnected online is the primary goal for multiple international organizations, including the ITU and the UN Broadband Commission. Two important barriers that restrict connectivity are the lack of infrastructure and affordability. To address these barriers, several novel concepts that involve spaceborne and airborne platforms have been proposed to provide connectivity at a lower cost (improve affordability) to a wider reach of people (extend infrastructure). We develop a techno-economic methodology to assess the potential impact of space and aerial concepts in expanding connectivity to uncovered and under-served regions. In particular, constellations of geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites, large constellations of medium Earth orbit (MEO) and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, and high- and low-altitude aerial platforms are studied. Results show that under the current scenario, the impact of space and aerial systems in terms of expanding connectivity would be rather modest; the current cost of satellite technology (~$200 per Mbps/month) are affordable for less than 1% of the uncovered and under-served population in the countries of interest. In a future scenario in 8–10 years, space systems have the highest potential to bring uncovered and under-served populations online, being a viable technology for 24% of the population in these countries.

Suggested Citation

  • del Portillo, Inigo & Eiskowitz, Skylar & Crawley, Edward F. & Cameron, Bruce G., 2021. "Connecting the other half: Exploring options for the 50% of the population unconnected to the internet," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(3).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:telpol:v:45:y:2021:i:3:s0308596120301828
    DOI: 10.1016/j.telpol.2020.102092
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Chiha, Asma & Van der Wee, Marlies & Colle, Didier & Verbrugge, Sofie, 2020. "Techno-economic viability of integrating satellite communication in 4G networks to bridge the broadband digital divide," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(3).
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    1. Oughton, Edward J. & Amaglobeli, David & Moszoro, Marian, 2023. "What would it cost to connect the unconnected? Estimating global universal broadband infrastructure investment," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(10).
    2. Bace, Brianna & Gökce, Yasir & Tatar, Unal, 2024. "Law in orbit: International legal perspectives on cyberattacks targeting space systems," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(4).
    3. Jenhung Wang & Pei-Chun Lin, 2024. "Spatial Spillover of the Global Internet Penetration Rate and the Digital Gender Divide," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(2), pages 21582440241, May.
    4. Michael Cabanillas-Carbonell & Jorge Pérez-Martínez & Joselyn Zapata-Paulini, 2023. "Contributions of the 5G Network with Respect to Poverty (SDG1), Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-25, July.
    5. Lee, Hyeongjik & Jeong, Seonkoo & Lee, Kwanghee, 2023. "The South Korean case of deploying rural broadband via fiber networks by implementing universal service obligation and public-private partnership based project," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(3).
    6. Jinming Liu & Guoting Zhang & Lining Xing & Weihua Qi & Yingwu Chen, 2022. "An Exact Algorithm for Multi-Task Large-Scale Inter-Satellite Routing Problem with Time Windows and Capacity Constraints," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(21), pages 1-24, October.

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