The arrival of
smartphones has resulted in a dramatic growth in the number of internet
users, but more than half of the world, 4.2 billion people, are still
not connected to the internet.
Many of these people live in areas without fiber and mobile networks, making it expensive for them to go online.
That's why Google's Project Loon
has been testing the use of drones and balloons. It flew test flights
last year over the South Island of New Zealand and has plans for further
tests this year in the U.S.
Google says the technology it's testing could be cheaper and more flexible than land-based internet networks.
But critics say Google's search engine is already a powerful force
online and any move that would see it controlling infrastructure as well
would give the company too much power.
"Drones and balloons, these are awesome but what are they being used for?" says Aral Balkan, Independent Internet Developer.
"Are the underlying power dynamics changing? Or is it again a very
small group of people exerting their power and control over a much
larger group?"
Many countries lack appropriate regulations and there are fears Google's projects could see it take advantage of this.
"This harms consumers, this harms innovation online," says Pranesh Prakash, from the Centre for Internet & Society based in Bangalore, India.
"It harms the openness of the Internet, harms competition and is something that regulators should step in to prevent."
Facebook's Internet.org has also been looking at using drones to enhance internet access in remote areas.
Testing Google Loon over New Zealand |
It has also launched an app in 11 countries which it says it can be
accessed by a billion people. The app allows them free access to a
limited number of online services.
“Our plan is to make basic internet services affordable so that
everyone with a phone can join the knowledge economy," Facebook founder
and CEO Mark Zukerberg says in a promotional video released by the project.
The app allows access to a number of basic internet sites including
Facebook. Earlier this year Internet.org was criticised for only
allowing a certain services access the platform. This prompted the
project to open it up to other services, providing they meet a set of
technical requirements.
"They're doing it out of their self-interest," says Prakash.
"They are not doing it because they are charities, because they
believe in altruism etc. They're doing it because having more people
online benefits them."
"I wouldn't call it philanthropy I would call it colonialism," says Balkan.
"Facebook gets to play gate keeper. Facebook proxies all the traffic
through their servers. They get to decide which information providers
are allowed onto their Internet and which aren't."
Source: Al Jazeera
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