27 days left before the first O3b satellite goes into orbit

Google-funded O3b Networks has prepared the first of 8 satellites for launch. On the main page of their site you can already see the countdown to the launch.

On Habré there was already a topic about this “provider of the future”, which plans to provide fast, affordable and high-quality Internet access for 70% of the world's population. This provider is a “wholesale” channel provider, that is, it will provide traffic to intermediaries (for example, cellular operators) who can already distribute it among their customers through existing networks.
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A significant difference from the existing providers of satellite Internet is the rejection of the use of the geostationary orbit, which is located approximately 36,000 km from the earth's surface. At this distance, it will take more than 500 milliseconds to connect two computers using satellite communications, while O3b satellites will be located at an altitude of 8062 kilometers, and the signal delay in this case will be only 130 milliseconds.



Each satellite will be equipped with several rotary parabolic antennas that can send and receive signals from a specific zone with a diameter of 700 km, despite the fact that the satellite will be in motion relative to the earth's surface.

The initial 8 satellites will be able to provide up to 70 channels of 1.2 Gbps each, that is, a total of 84 Gbps. In the future, the number of satellites plan to bring up to 16.

The satellites will transmit a signal to ground stations that can be located anywhere within 45 degrees in latitude to the south and north of the equator:


Such a scheme of work will be able to compete with the existing underwater communication channels and reduce the threshold for entry into the market for new Internet providers, as well as increase the speed and throughput of existing ones.

More information about the technologies used can be found here .

I propose in the comments to discuss the prospects of this technology and how it can affect the development of the Internet as a whole.

PS This is my first topic on Habré. I will welcome any comments and suggestions!