Internet in Africa

"The Times has an interesting article about Google funding a new internet service for sub-Saharan Africa.

'Google has teamed up with John Malone, the media
billionaire, and HSBC on a venture that will offer internet access to
three billion people in Africa and other emerging markets as the US
search engine continues to expand its presence across the Web.

The project, named O3b Networks, is targeting those people for whom
broadband Internet access is not commercially viable. The consortium
will today announce a deal to buy 16 low-earth orbit satellites from
France’s Thales Alenia Space as it kicks off the $750 million project
to link mobile phone masts to broadband networks in a series of
countries close to the equator, the Financial Times reported. (read more)'."

I'm not excited, not one little bit.  I might have reasonable internet access where I live by the end of 2010!

One of the commenters at the
Times asked why this was necessary when satellite broadband is already
an option.  Well, in mmmBELLYmay land, satellite broadband costs $1000
to set up and $300 a month to use, which is beyond my budget, much less
that of average mmmBELLYmay speakers.  Yay Google!