Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are among the technology companies that Boeing is working on securing a deal with to build a high-throughput communications satellite. The satellite will be designed to expand Internet across the globe which would, in turn, help these companies grow by reaching the billions of people around the world that still don’t have access to the Internet.
Boeing Co (BA.N) on Monday said it could clinch a deal this year to build a high-throughput communications satellite for top technology companies such as Google Inc (GOOGL.O), Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), Facebook Inc (FB.O) or Apple Inc (AAPL.O). Jim Simpson, vice president of business development and chief strategist for Boeing Network and Space Systems, told Reuters the big technology firms were keen to expand Internet access around the world to help them grow. “The real key to being able to do these type of things is ultra high-throughput capabilities, where we’re looking at providing gigabytes, terrabytes, pedabytes of capability,” Simpson told Reuters after a panel at the Satellite 2015 conference. Simpson declined to give specific details about discussions with the tech companies. He said the challenge was to drive down the cost of satellite communications to be more in line with terrestrial costs, which would help the tech firms justify the expense of building a larger communications satellite.
