OUTERNET INFORMATION FOR THE WORLD

FROM OUTER SPACE

“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion

and expression; this right includes freedom to

hold opinions without interference and to seek,

receive and impart information and ideas

through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

- ARTICLE 19 OF THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

FOR THE WORLD INFORMATION

FROM OUTER SPACE

CUBESAT WITH DEPLOYED SOLAR PANELS 30cm x 10cm x 10cm, 3kg

A constellation of low-cost nanosatellites

can create a distributed communications

system in support of free, global access

to independent media.

FOR THE WORLD INFORMATION

FROM OUTER SPACE

FOR THE WORLD INFORMATION

FROM OUTER SPACE

The $80,000 Ecuadoran Pegasus is similar to

what is being planned for Outernet.

HD VIDEO BROADCASTER 10cm x 10cm x 10cm, 1kg

Planet Labs, a space startup

from San Francisco, recently

set a record with the

deployment of a 28-satellite

constellation from the

International Space Station.

FOR THE WORLD INFORMATION

FROM OUTER SPACE

FOR THE WORLD INFORMATION

FROM OUTER SPACE

AUSTRALIS OSCAR V

Small satellite relays have been

built and used by amateur radio

operators to transmit voice and

data messages for 40 years.

WHAT IS OUTERNET?

• Global news, information, and entertainment delivery – International and local news delivery

– Agricultural commodity prices for rural farmers

– Weather updates

– Health care bulletins and preventative meausures

• Universal educational broadcasting – WBEZ in Chicago was founded by the Chicago Board of Education to broadcast daily lessons and lectures during the

polio epidemic in the 1940s.

• Application delivery, such as Linux updates, educational courseware, ebooks, and games.

• Communications during disasters; humanitarian relief organizations can coordinate efforts with citizens – http://cir.ca/news/super-typhoon-haiyan

Outernet provides a basic level of information and

education to the world for free. Instead of

broadcasting audio or video, Outernet broadcasts

entire websites, applications, ebooks, and

courseware. Outernet is the library of the future.

WHAT WILL OUTERNET DELIVER?

Global News and Information

• International and local news

• Agricultural commodity prices for rural farmers

• Healthcare bulletins

• Government notices

Educational Courseware • WBEZ in Chicago was founded by the Chicago Board of Education to

broadcast daily lessons and lectures during the polio epidemic in the 1940s

• Outernet delivers open courseware materials for all ages

Application Delivery • Software

• Wikipedia updates

• eBooks

• Games

Emergency Communications • Disaster relief coordination

• Persistent communication with citizens when other channels are disrupted

• Public service announcements

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Outernet transmits over both a

purpose-built nanosatellite

constellation, as well as

existing geostationary satellites

from SES. An external hotspot

converts the satellite signals

into Wi-Fi.

4

Content delivered through

Outernet is stored and

displayed on hotspot receivers

and devices such as e-

newspapers, smartphones,

tablets, computers, and USB

receivers.

5

Outernet users request content

via SMS and 0.facebook. A

voting system creates a queue

for broadcasting. Users select

which files to open as they are

downloaded. These files can be

saved and shared indefinitely.

6

etc.

IS THIS LEGAL AND FEASIBLE?

• Low Earth Orbit falls outside of international airspace

• The frequencies of Wi-Fi are unlicensed spectrum all over the world.

Numerous satellites currently transmit over unlicensed frequencies.

• Amateur radio enthusiasts have their own satellites, which carry voice

and data for ham operators.

• Ten years ago, Microsoft built an FM broadcast data network which

transmitted stock updates and news briefs to smart watch owners.

• 110 CubeSats have been successfully deployed since 2003. Student

groups regularly send satellites into space.

• Satellite multicasting already exists as a business.

• SES, the world’s largest satellite operator, has agreed to a flexible

transponder lease to develop the product and user experience.

WHO WILL USE THE OUTERNET?

• Base of the pyramid; the primary objective of Outernet is to bridge

the global information divide. This is a market of four-billion people.

Many of these people have equipment that can already received

Outernet transmission.

• Middle income residents in emerging markets; Outernet will reduce

reliance on expensive data plans for some digital content.

• Residents of areas with inadequate telecom infrastructure; rural parts

of any country, islands, mountainous regions, the open sea.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How is this different from what already exists?

Is it really necessary to build and launch satellites?

Why hasn’t anyone else done this yet?

Free-to-Air satellite broadcasters transmit video and audio content. Outernet will transmit the

best content from the web. Instead of delivering ephemeral content, Outernet broadcasts files

and applications which can be easily saved, redistributed, and viewed on a web browser.

It is definitely possible to deliver web content through existing satellites, or even terrestrial tv

and radio transmitters. Outernet’s feedback loop and user experience will be immediately

tested with these channels. However, the coverage map of existing satellites is somewhat

spotty and owning the distribution chain is a competitive advantage.

Standardization of nanosatellite components and frequent launch opportunities for secondary

payloads are a recent phenomenon. All but one nanosatellite mission have been conducted to

advance science, space education, or military objectives. Conventional satellite operators

have fat margins and have no reason to innovate at the bottom of the market.

Will it be possible to tailor broadcasts for specific regions?

Yes. SES has 55 satellites, each with numerous transponders. Spot beams targeting

specific regions make this an easy feature to implement. The nanosatellite constellation offers

this capability by transmitting regional content while passing over predetermined areas.

BUSINESS CASE

• Facebook’s 4th quarter ARPU for frontier markets was $.56, an

18% increase from the 3rd quarter.

• To date, the lowest price tag for a global communications

constellation is $300M (ORBCOMM). Outernet’s target for a

constellation with similar capabilities is $10M. Global coverage

from SES starts at $100,000 per year.

• There is strong customer interest in high-bandwidth data

broadcasts from existing satellites. Developing a physical

product and open source software immediately generates

revenue and mindshare. Users and customers can experiment

with broadcast data while a proprietary distribution system is

built.

• Outernet is a vertically integrated, next-generation media

company. Satellites just happen to be the fastest and

cheapest way to reach every person on Earth.

Imagine universal access to information, regardless

of income, infrastructure, geography, or jurisdiction.

Imagine four-billion additional participants in the

global marketplace of ideas.

Imagine the avalanche of creativity, innovation, and

invention.

In just a few years, you won’t need to imagine.