Outernet is creating the most accessible data service in history. We do this by using a space-based distribution system with no cost to the user.
While successful broadcast businesses have been built around specific mediums like audio (AM and FM radio) and video (satellite and terrestrial TV), no broadcast system has been built for the distribution of data. Any media experience available online can be delivered independently of the internet using Outernet.
Our data ecosystem is so ingrained that we do not question some of its more archaic traits. Here are questions Outernet asks:
– Why do so many people pay to receive the exact same content from dispersed nodes when it could be distributed centrally?
– Why do we have broadcast television and radio, but no similar system for data?
– Why do we need to be within range of a cell tower to read the news or see what is trending on Twitter?
Right now, 6 out of 10 humans on Earth cannot connect to the Internet. For most people on Earth, the way content is accessed via the Internet is either too costly, too slow, or simply does not exist. Outernet will be the primary data source for the majority of humanity who live in developing countries where economic growth rates are the highest in the world.
Other problems:
To use the Internet, a user must create an account and pay a monthly or often more costly pay-as-you-go fee. Outernet is free to access.
The bi-directional nature of the Internet means that individual censorship, tracking, or monitoring by third parties is guaranteed. Instead of a snake-vs-mongoose game of online security and privacy, Outernet is completely anonymous by design.
Limited infrastructure in most parts of the world means that whatever networks do exist are often slow. An infinite number of users has no adverse impact on the Outernet experience.
Outernet embraces the positive impact we can have on humanity, but we are not a charity. We are going where other technology companies are not because we recognize the long term value of a 4.3 billion person audience comprised of mostly young aspirationals.
Outernet is simultaneously creating a digital media experience and a new platform for distributing that media. Outernet is not just a popular radio station, we are FM. Outernet is not a platinum album, we are the compact disc itself. Outernet is not just the bestselling book, we are the printing press.
– What will our species accomplish when everyone can learn to their full potential? What inventions will be created? What diseases cured?
– What would it be like to be a part of the company that helps create that world?
For centuries, the story of human progress has been the story of making more information available to more people. From the printing press to the word processor, the telephone to the text message, human beings have continually found ways to share more information with more people more quickly and more affordably than how it was done before.
Outernet is the next chapter in that story and this is your chance to be a part of it.
An Outernet customer and an Outernet user are not necessarily the same person. Along the three stages of the Outernet process are different revenue opportunities from a variety of customers. Outernet can engage a large number of customers while still focusing on just two types of products: hardware and data.
As we continue to roll out more of Outernet’s functionality over the coming months, we envision three major customer types for Sponsored Data:
Hardware sales will constitute a significant share of revenue initially as we seek to encourage market adoption. Our open platform means our receiver technology is not proprietary, again with the aim being mass adoption.
Component sales can also include an antennae for inclusion in the body of a smartphone or tablet. Imagine a smartphone that comes with free data without a phone company contract. An Outernet receiver can be built-in the same way that Bluetooth capability is built into phones today.
Premium content augments the large variety of content that we will broadcast for free. Outernet users will have the option to make individual purchases, like a movie or a song, or subscription purchases. This can be facilitated using SMS payments.
Share Your Content
Any digital file can be sent over Outernet — that includes news, video, music, e-books, and much more. Any Internet user will be able to share an alotment of data for free. Create a global blog or share your Twitter feed with the world. Outernet users can use SMS, Twitter, or WhatsApp to request content.
Outernet Editorial
In addition to the content brought to us by our users, Outernet will curate a large collection of the web’s best content. We are already datacasting a collection of great material from exceptional sources. The library that Outernet can build is limited only by what can be made digital.
Watch Outernet’s demo installation in Detroit on CNBC
“The world’s poor could benefit from a system that is blanketing half Earth’s surface with a signal that provides free access to Wikipedia and other useful websites.” — MIT Tech Review
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Watch the BBC show Click! cover Outernet’s pilot in Kenya.
“Outernet will launch their three new nanosatellites at the beginning of 2016…That means lower costs for Outernet’s target markets, which are already at the bottom of the economic food chain.” — TechCrunch
“For 60 percent of the world’s population, regular internet access is about as common as flying cars…But where the internet has failed, the Outernet hopes to succeed.” — Gizmodo
“Imagine life without the Internet. That’s the reality for much of the world — almost 5 billion people — in heavily censored or remote areas where the Internet remains largely unavailable. Outernet… wants to change that.” — LA Times
“[Outernet] could be the next big step toward unified planetary connectivity.” — Washington Post
“The Short Wave Radio for the Digital Age.” — Fast Company
“A Tiny Satellite Dish That Brings Info to the World’s Deadzones.” — Wired
“Outernet aims to provide data to the net unconnected.” — BBC
“Billions of people around the world don’t have access to the Internet, so the next big thing is trying to connect the world.” — CNN
Outernet has made some incredible progress since launching our first data broadcast in August 2014. Things have really picked up speed in 2015, and our momentum is building full steam ahead toward even bigger and better things to come in 2016 and beyond.
Outernet already covers North America, Africa, Europe, and most of Western Asia with over 500 MB of data per day. That’s 15GB of data per month when the average American uses just 2 GB per month of mobile data. Our capacity will continue to grow as we add users and expand our library. We plan to be completely global with increased capacity within 1-2 months.
Here’s an overview of some of the most exciting developments from the past few months at Outernet:
Content partners and clients including Project Gutenberg, Elsevier, Deutsche Welle, and Empowering Health
Request access to our Business Plan to learn more about our operational plans and how you can participate.
Andrean Franc, Software Architect. Andrean oversees the development of Librarian, the content portal used for browsing Outernet data.
Ben Ennis, Developer. Ben handles Outernet’s content delivery system.
Ben Schuurman, Designer. Ben focuses on making the UX intuitive for diverse users of limited technical experience.
Kyle Keen, Hardware Lead. Kyle is a core contributor to the RTL-SDR software defined radio project. A particular focus is antennae design.
Rachel Feinberg, Director of Programs and Business Development. Rachel finds and educates grassroots organizations on utilizing Outernet.