Flying Internet for the Unwired:How to implement sky-streaming internet in the developing world

Seongcheol Kim (Korea University)

Jieun Park (Seoul Digital Foundation)

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Introduction

• Connectivity is now almost a necessity for many people • The internet has become an essential medium not only for communication, business, and

education, but also for many more functions in our daily lives • However, this ‘right to internet access’ is not afforded by everyone

• 54% of world’s 7.4 billion population are still in “digital darkness” and the situation is more extreme in the developing world

• Why? • From the perspective of telcos, building network infrastructures in the developing world is

too costly and impractical • Several global IT companies like Google or Facebook have found ways in the “sky”

• Sky-streaming internet using balloons, drones, and satellites

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Sky-streaming internet

• Sky-streaming internet refers to innovative connectivity technologies that provide

internet ‘from the sky’

• Google’s balloon internet ‘Project Loon’

• Facebook’s drone internet ‘Aquila’

• OneWeb’s low-earth orbiting satellite internet

• OneWeb is a satellite startup backed by SoftBank Group, Qualcomm, and many other giant groups

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Google’s balloon internet ‘Project Loon’

• ‘Project Loon’ is Google’s solution to connect the world’s unwired population by flying balloons

• A fleet of gas-filled balloons hover in the sky around the world at the height of 20-30km in the stratosphere

• Technical features• Balloons are equipped with essential components of a cell tower, powered by solar panels• One balloon beams down internet to an area of 80km in diameter, at speed of 22MB/s• Made from sheets of polyethylene, it can fly up to 190 days against strong winds,

UV radiation, and high temperature

• Pilot tests have been done in many areas including New Zealand, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Canada, Indonesia, etc.

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Facebook’s drone internet ‘Aquila’

• Meaning eagle in Latin, ‘Aquila’ is one of Facebook’s Connectivity Lab projects to use drones for wider internet by beaming down internet from the drones

• Connectivity Lab aims to make internet accessible and affordable in many unwired communities in the world

• Technical features• It has 42m wingspan and weighs only around 400kg and can operate in 18~27km in the

stratosphere• Aquila uses laser beams to deliver 10MB/s speed internet from over 10 miles away• Powered by solar energy, it can fly for 3 months at a time

• Aquila completed the first pilot flight in 2016 in Arizona, US• Facebook plans to keep testing it in other regions and countries

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OneWeb’s Low-earth orbiting satellite

• OneWeb is a US satellite startup backed by giant companies like SoftBank, Qualcomm, Virgin Group, Coca Cola, etc.

• Its mission is to cover the Earth with a blanket of micro-satellites in low-earth orbit to provide internet connectivity at every school in the world by 2022, and fully bridge the digital divide by 2027

• Technical features• Its plan is to put 2,620 micro-satellites at 1,200km in altitude• One satellite weighs 110kg(250lb), a size of a washing machine• It is expected to provide internet at speed of 200Mbps• Average cost for one micro-satellite is 1/500 of a conventional satellite

• OneWeb plans to launch its initial ten satellites in 2018• Its satellite factory will be built in Florida by 2020

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Three different types of sky-streaming internet technologies

GoogleBalloon internet

Project Loon

FacebookDrone Internet

Aquila

OneWebLow-earth satelliteorbiting Internet

Flight height 20-30km in the stratosphere 18~27km in the stratosphere 700km from the Earth(low-earth orbit)

Lifespan Maximum 190 days Approximately 100 days Years

Network coverage 80km in diameter 96.5km in diameter High elevation angle (>50 degrees)

Internet speed 22 MB/s (expected) 10MB/s (expected) 200MB/s (expected)

Test flights Multiple pilot tests done in eight countries

A pilot test done in the US First pilot test expected in 2018

Strength Relatively low-cost, high feasibility based on multiple pilot tests Beaming-down lasers to transmit data Wide network coverage, superior lifespan

Weakness Low durability of the balloon Issues with ‘Free Basics’ in some developing countries Relatively low feasibility, spectrum issues

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Theoretical concept: Digital divide• Digital divide

• Digital divide refers to the gap between ICT-haves and have-nots, with regards to both access and use of ICTs for a variety of activities(ITU, 2007; Rogers, 2011)

• Today’s most common and direct cause of digital divide lies on the lack of network infrastructure(Rogers, 2001)

• Internet access divide often comes from unequal investment in telecommunications infrastructure(Philip et al., 2017; Rogers, 2001; Servon, 2008)

• Devices like cell phones and personal computers became cheap enough to be widespread but the connectivity problem remains

• Real hurdle of today’s digital divide is providing internet connectivity, not the device access point(Mariscal, 2005; Rao, 2005; Sujarwoto & Tampubolon, 2016)

• Sky-streaming internet has potential to resolve the digital divide problem by providing internet to the most poor, underserved regions of developing countries

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Theoretical concept: Digital divide and ICT4D• Information Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D)

• Application of information and communication technologies for the purpose of helping poor and the marginalized people to make a positive difference to their lives (Heeks, 2009; Unwin, 2009)

• Examples of ICT4D

• Sky-streaming internet as an ICT4D for development• The lack of telecommunication infrastructure and internet is often the most fundamental cause of

digital divide• In this sense, sky-streaming internet may serve as a solution to digital divide

<Contents>Play.Connect.Learn

<Platform>Esoko

<Device>One Laptop Per Child

<Network>Sky-streaming internet

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Research goal and questions• This study aims to…

• provide a comprehensive guide and evaluation of three types of sky-streaming internet technologies to the national policymakers looking for ways to extend connectivity in their countries

• give practical implications to sky-streaming internet service providers like Google, Facebook, and OneWebconcerning what challenges they should overcome or what factors should be concerned in their strategies for those projects

• This study investigates the following four research questions1. Will the sky-streaming internet technology positively contribute to the development of developing

countries? If so, how? If not, why?2. For sky-streaming internet technologies to be deployed in developing countries, what are the most critical

challenges to overcome?3. What should be done and how should it be done by whom to make a sky-streaming technology be

successfully deployed and to extend internet connectivity to developing country?4. What criteria or factors should the developing countries consider when selecting and deploying a sky-

streaming internet technology?

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Research method (1/2)

• Two-level analysis1. Interview with ICT4D experts2. Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) analysis

• First-level - Interview with ICT4D experts• Interview with eleven experts attending at an international ICT4D conference held in Hyderabad, India

from May 15th to 18th, 2017• Organization : NGO, private sector, research institution, independent consulting firm, etc.• Expertise : network, healthcare, agriculture, education, ICT4D in general, etc.

• Second-level - AHP analysis• To suggest a model that can help developing countries select a sky-streaming internet service and sky-

streaming internet service providers devise business strategies• Twenty-two experts’ answers included

• 50% Korean, 50% international

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Research method (2/2)

• Analytical hierarchy process(AHP) is a widely used theoretical modeling technique for complex decision making process (Saaty, 1990)

• The Technology-business-policy(TBP) framework is taken• Three major factors(criteria) that potentially affect the adoption of an innovation

: Technology, government, and market• Three criteria and ten sub-criteria to evaluate sky-streaming internet technology

• Technological superiority• Technical viability, cost-effectiveness, network coverage, and technical performance

• Socio-political acceptance• Acceptance from the authority, local players’ cooperation, and social acceptance

• Market potential• Profitability, sustainability, impact on economic growth

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AHP model

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Results from the experts interview (1/2)• Meaning and expected impact of the sky-streaming internet technology in developing

countries• Meaning of three sky-streaming internet projects from the three IT companies?

• They are rather long-term plans for market expansion

• Technical viability in question• Readiness of the technologies particularly for OneWeb’s low-earth orbiting satellite internet is in

question• Existence of more “realistic, proven, and even cheater” technologies for internet

• Mesh network technology, Open BTS, TV white spaces can be more realistic and economical• Positive impact expected on a country’s economic growth

• All areas of ICT4D ranging from agriculture, environment, education, etc. will be improved if internet connectivity given

• Access to information using the internet will also bring about constructive changes in social and political parts of the society

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Results from the experts interview (2/2)

• Strategic considerations of sky-streaming internet technology from the perspective of the beneficiary and the service providers

• Diplomatic and political issues within sky-streaming internet technologies• Spectrum, internet governance, and national security issues are critical barriers

• Sustainability and transferability of the technology to the beneficiary country• The government of developing countries should ensure that the sky-streaming internet service providers will build a

sustainable internet infrastructure in their county

• Acceptance from the society members and users• Technology makes it POSSIBLE but permission from

the government and acceptance from the people isrequired to make it HAPPEN.One step further, to make it work,a market ecosystem needs to be formed

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Results from the AHP analysis (1/4)

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Results from the AHP analysis (2/4)

• Socio-political acceptance > Market potential > Technological superiority

②① ③⑥⑤ ④⑨ ⑧⑦ ⑩

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Results from the AHP analysis (3/4)• ‘Acceptance from the authority’ criteria was the highest followed by local players’ cooperation

and social acceptance• The most crucial issues for sky-streaming internet service providers to consider are relationship-building

with the government of developing countries• Socio-political and market acceptance are more important than technology itself

• Within ‘technological superiority’ criteria, technical viability is more important than cost-effectiveness, network coverage, or technical performance

• Experts from the interview also commonly mentioned the readiness of the technology (technical viability)• Under ‘socio-political acceptance’ criteria, acceptance from the users was less crucial than the

government and local players’ acceptance• This may indicate a political characteristic of developing countries - high authority and power of the

government over society• As for ‘market potential’, sustainability was evaluated as more important than profitability or

economic aspect of the sky-streaming internet technology

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Results from the AHP analysis (4/4)• Google’s Loon holds superiority over the

two competitors• Strong in partnership with local players and

viability of technology• OneWeb was evaluated as weak in

technological viability and social acceptance

• However, it has the highest superiority in network coverage and network performance

• Facebook’s Aquila is expected to be most smoothly accepted by the society and users based on its brand image

• However, it showed low score in network coverage, impact on economic growth and local players’ cooperation

Criteria / Alternative

GoogleProject

Loon

FacebookAquila

OneWebLEO

satelliteWL rank WL rank WL rank

Technical superiority

Technical viability .483 2 .294 4 .223 9

Cost-effectiveness .390 5 .312 1 .297 6

Network coverage .198 10 .195 10 .608 1

Technical performance .253 9 .292 5 .455 2

Socio-political acceptance

Acceptance from the authority .474 3 .284 7 .242 8

Local players’ cooperation .501 1 .279 8 .220 10

Social acceptance .418 4 .3 2 .282 7

Market potential

Profitability .322 7 .296 3 .381 4

Sustainability .272 8 .288 6 .440 3 Impact on economic

growth.352 6 .272 9 .377 5

Total weight .394 .283 .323

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Conclusion and implication (1/2)• Sky-streaming internet is an innovative ICT4D technology and has the positive impact but

it may not be the best or only answer for internet access divide• The viability of technology is still in question• Alternative options that are more realistic or cheaper are available

• Google, Facebook, and OneWeb should overcome critical issues such as spectrum, internet governance, national security problems

• Building relationship with the government and forming a network with diverse stakeholders in developing countries is more important focusing on technology itself

• Stable relationship and close cooperation with local players, government ministries, working civic groups, other international organizations, and even the individual citizens in the region are the core factors

• Core values of sky-streaming internet for developing countries lie on its positive impact on the society and sustainable development

• Its technical superiority or profitability is not the essence

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Conclusion and implication (2/2)• Google’s balloon internet ‘Loon Project’ is the best option for developing countries for sky-streaming

internet service• Loon Project is evaluated as the most ‘realistic’ option for developing countries

• OneWeb’s LEO satellite has strong comparative advantages in network coverage, technical performance, and profitability

• It is a technically superior but challenged with forming partnership with local players and obtaining permission from the government

• The idea of floating satellites by an international company is in direct conflict with national security and the governance issue of the developing countries

• Facebook’s drone internet ‘Aquila’ has advantage in cost-effectiveness and social acceptance based on its brand as a global social media leader

• However, it was evaluated as the weakest among the three technologies

• Sky-streaming internet service providers should devise their business strategies based on the findings• Google should focus on building relationship with the government and local players• OneWeb should target markets that need wide network coverage and high speed internet• Facebook should consider having a more innovative business model as the weakest among the three (ex. targeting regions in

developed countries, cooperating with OneWeb, etc.)