Google to Deliver WiFi to Developing Countries via Blimps!

Google has a plan to get WiFi to developing countries, and it involves satellites, blimps, and ubiquitous WiFi! Can WE be a developing country too? Sigh.

Report: Google developing fund for wireless networks in emerging markets

“Google has already demonstrated its interest in making high-speed Internet across the United States with through the Fiber project, but it looks like the tech giant has a global plan too.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that the Mountain View, Calif.-based company is working on a monetary fund to build wireless networks in emerging markets.

Google hasn’t commented publicly on the report or the fund yet.

But according to the WSJ story, based on unnamed sources, these are the main points to know.

The fund is expected to fuel wireless infrastructures primarily in rural areas where wired Internet connections aren’t available, especially in Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

It still remains to be seen how Google plans to go about this project, either by building the networks itself or partnering with local wireless companies — or some balance of both, depending on the market.

Such an initiative does fall in line with some of Google’s more philanthropic schemes and rhetoric, much of which CEO Larry Page reiterated at Google I/O in San Francisco last week.

But getting more people online and enabling them with wireless connectivity also has possibility to boost the mobile user base in these regions, outfitting them as prime consumers for low-cost Android smartphones, featurephones, and even tablets.”