The constant need to be connected to the internet is one of the problems with Bitocin and other digital currencies.Although using access to internet as a backbone is not a weakness, the problem is that the world does not have a fully-integrated internet system.Developed locations like Europe and the United States are very close to a position where internet availability is almost the same as electricity. However, the underdeveloped regions and developing countries still have issues with internet.According to ITU, the Internet Transmissions Union, 60% of the World’s total population will not be connected to internet even by December 2014.
This statistics means that 4 billion people will be exiled from using Bitcoin.ITU wrote in their annual report that by end of 2014, the number of people using the internet will be close to 3 billion. 2/3 of the total internet users belong to the developing world.This data shows 40% internet user penetration globally.
78% of this penetration is in the developed countries and 32% is in developing countries. Over 90% of those who are not using the Internet yet belongs to the developing world.Especially because the use of digital currency is highly dependent in internet access, it is important to seek ways to expand reliable and inexpensive internet access to all parts of the world.Last year, with the intention to innovate more on worldwide broadband access, Google launched their “Project Loon.” The project involves using balloons to bring internet to areas that need it.
Now, Google claims that they are making progress on the new invention. Some people might think the balloon idea is crazy and unrealistic, but it is a part of a much larger concept from the company.Captain of Google X’s Moonshots division Astro Teller, discussed in a fireside-type chat held at M.I.T. Technology Review’s, that they expect to have a balloons floating in the Southern Hemisphere in the next year.
The discussion took place in a conference with bitcoin-friendly environment called EmTech conference.Teller shared that the company is trying to rebuild from the beginning to find out if there are any weaknesses. They find weaknesses and opportunities in the unique technology. The innovative company is reinventing the way people think about internet access.After testing the Google balloons, it was known that the balloons can deliver speed of up to 22 megabits every second to fixed antennas.
The balloons can give speed of five megabits per second to different mobile devices.To help compare, the highest speed of Comcast, which is a giant internet infrastructure corporate, is 505 megabits per second. Although the numbers for Project Loon is much smaller, the invention is significant to technology.It is obvious that the access to the crypto currencies like Bitcoin will increase as all companies and governments can create dedicated internet infrastructures.While the larger companies try to fight internet innovations, Google’s new invention could bring bitcoin to the widest range of people.
