Google to Blanket Africa with Internet Access

Google is taking a giant leap with their latest mission to bring the internet to the world. Currently half of the world’s population, or 3.5 billion people are not connected to the web. The internet powerhouse plans to change that reality by building an immense wireless network in third world countries.

Web access is spotty at best in much of sub-Saharan Africa and rural parts of Asia. By providing expanded access to the internet for over 1 billion people, Google will help accelerate user base growth for the Android and iPhone app developer community.

Equipment providers and local telecom companies in Africa and Asia are currently partnering with Google on several projects. Government officials are in talks with the company to provide delivery of the Internet to these underdeveloped regions by utilizing spare television spectrum bandwidth.

According to an article published by the Wall Street Journal, “Connecting more people to the Web world-wide creates more potential users of its Web-search engine and other services such as YouTube and its Google Play media and app store… The company currently derives 87% of its annual $50 billion in revenue from selling online ads.”

Google’s quest to deliver high speed internet access hasn’t stopped at Kansas City or Provo, Utah. The company is well aware that the internet is a boom for people living in undeveloped parts of the world as well allowing businesses in the west to open up new markets. After all, Google will be the search engine of choice in all these new markets. As an iPhone app developer in San Diego I applaud Google for not waiting for big telecoms to change the world, but for having the vision and ability to do it themselves.