Back in 1998, two companies tried to connect voice and data services around the world.  The purpose was to make sure anyone anywhere could be connected.  Sadly, both companies went bankrupt within a few years.  It’s hard to say for sure what went wrong, but it seems like the world just wasn’t ready for that level of connectivity at that time.

Things have surely changed now.  For starters, the smartphone has come along since then, and it seems like everyone has one of these super computers in their pocket.  We’re more connected than we ever have been before.  At least in developed countries, that is.

What about people in developing countries?  Now Google is working on two projects to connect people who don’t have internet services to Space Internet.  It’s not as sci-fi as it sounds.  The two projects, The Titan Drone and Project Loon, will use unmanned aircraft to create a net of internet transmitters capable of transmitting a wireless internet signal to the ground.

Both projects have their pros and cons.  Project Loon uses high-altitude balloons but can only carry a small payload.  The Titan Drone can carry a larger payload and offer greater internet speeds, but there are more concerns about whether its presence will be accepted by the people on the ground.  Check out this infographic for more.

Infographic courtesy of ComputerScienceDegreeHub.com

Space image courtesy of Arts.com