Trust the Japanese to bring the Internet from space - the technologically-advanced nation has just launched an experimental satellite that will eventually provide high-speed Internet access throughout Asia, allowing one to check e-mail and surf Coolest Gadgets no matter the condition of terrestrial infrastructure. Developed domestically, the H-2A rocket which carried the Kizuna satellite was launched at 17:55 pm (0855 GMT) without facing any problems from the Space Centre on Tanegashima island off the southern tip of Kyushu Island in southern Japan.

This communications satellite has been tipped to be in use for five years, and it has the potential to allow extremely high speed data communications that will be able to touch a whopping 1.2Gbps - something I would like to enjoy whenever I hit the Internet. Imagine downloading videos and other files at that speed - you will feel as though today’s 10Mbps line was yesteryear’s 14.4k modem. The Kizuna satellite costs a cool $342 million, so I guess there will be some form of expensive monthly subscription fee if the cost of the satellite were to be ever recovered. One thing that bugs me though - can’t the coverage area be enlarged to cover the whole world? Just launch a few more of such satellites so that the world can be blanketed in that manner and I’ll be a happy man.

Anyways, at 1.2Gbps, that would mean a theoretical speed that is 150 times faster than your everyday high-speed ADSL connection of 8Mbps, and is 12 times superior to the speed of a fibre-optic communication delivery to a person’s premises (FTTP). One thing great about a space-based satellite providing access to the Internet would be the ability for mountainous and hard-to-reach areas benefit from the wonders of an Internet connection - something not really possible at this moment due to infrastructure issues at certain areas.

Source: AFP