St. John, Jersey, Channel Islands, September 9, 2008 – O3b Networks Ltd. today announced it will begin deployment of a new global communications infrastructure to provide high-speed, low-cost Internet connectivity to Africa, the Middle East and parts of Latin America by the end of 2010.
Backed with financial and operational support from Google Inc., Liberty Global, Inc. and HSBC Principal Investments, the new system will reduce bandwidth costs for telecommunications operators (telcos) and Internet service providers (ISPs), enabling cost-effective voice and broadband services at speeds equivalent to those enjoyed in the developed world.
The O3b Networks system will offer optical fibre performance over 16 satellites, at prices comparable to fibre in developed regions. O3b's network will allow local telcos and ISPs to offer affordable, high-speed Internet access services – effectively bridging the digital divide between developed and emerging markets.
O3b Networks was founded by high-technology entrepreneur Greg Wyler with a mission of making the Internet accessible and affordable for billions of people in emerging and developed markets.
“Access to the Internet backbone is still severely limited in emerging markets,” Wyler said. “Only when emerging markets achieve affordable and ubiquitous access to the rest of the world will we observe locally generated content, widespread e-learning, telemedicine and many more enablers to social and economic growth which reflect the true value of the Internet. O3b Networks will bring multi-gigabit Internet speeds directly to the emerging markets, whether landlocked in Africa or isolated by water in the Pacific Islands.”