KunstadterC. Market update. Presentation at the World Space Risk Forum, Dubai 2014. This does not count debris or nonoperational satellites. The Union of Concerned Scientists database of active satellites has 1265 entries as of early 2015.
2.
HodsonH. Internet's final frontier. New Scientist, January31, 2015.
3.
Press release, OneWeb website, 6/25/2015. As of the end of June 2015, the consortium has raised $500 million dollars. OneWeb has stated that they expect the full system to cost several billion dollars more.
4.
In their public kickoff, OneWeb claimed that this constellation supports connection speeds and latency comparable to fast cable modem access—such as 50 Mb/s. Press reports suggest that these satellites are distributed in approximately 20 orbital planes. See Amos J. OneWeb satellite operator eyes huge rocket campaign. BBC News Online, June25, 2015.
5.
KarpA. Branson-backed OneWeb raises $500 million to build satellite Internet. Forbes, June25, 2015. Virgin and OneWeb claim that this will allow satellite replacement within 48 hours.
6.
IorgaR. Meizu M2 officially announced, priced below $100, but packing good specs. GSM Dome, July29, 2015.
7.
AllevenM. OneWeb CEO: We are solving the rural connectivity problem. FierceWirelessTech, March12, 2015. The $250 price point is their planned figure, as no base stations are yet available.
8.
PerrinA. Americans' Internet Access: 2000–2015. Pew Research Center, June26, 2015.
A very useful discussion of the rapid growth and impact of mobile telephony in Africa appears in Aker J, Mbiti I. Mobile phones and economic development in Africa. J Econ Persp., 2010; 24:207–232. Mobile subscriptions can exceed 100% of population due to both business use and individuals maintaining multiple accounts to avoid very expensive roaming charges.
11.
The standard comprehensive reference for diffusion is Rogers E. Diffusion of Innovation, 5th edition. New York: Free Press, 2003.
12.
BowdenS, OfferA. Household appliances and the use of time: The United States and Britain since the 1920s. Econ Hist Rev., 1994; 47:725–748.
