I see a few issues with it in this context, though.
In the short-run, it will be prohibitively expensive for most of the world’s population, and it doesn’t solve for the device ownership necessity.
I also don’t like the idea internet access being in the control of a company that is subject to the national laws. I feel that we need a censorship-resistant internet, especially in the existing climate. We’re increasingly seeing crack-downs across the world, and I don’t the US will be immune from increased internet suppression.
My very uninformed sense is that starlink might make internet access a lot easier. Metaculus question writing opportunitiy.
Some people have been saying that Starlink system’s limit is 0.5M consumers even after they release a whole lot more satellites: https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200928/09175145397/report-notes-musks-starlink-wont-have-capacity-to-truly-disrupt-us-telecom.shtml. This would mean you can’t expect it to turn even 0.1% of unconnected people to netizens.
Yeap, it’s incredibly exciting.
I see a few issues with it in this context, though.
In the short-run, it will be prohibitively expensive for most of the world’s population, and it doesn’t solve for the device ownership necessity.
I also don’t like the idea internet access being in the control of a company that is subject to the national laws. I feel that we need a censorship-resistant internet, especially in the existing climate. We’re increasingly seeing crack-downs across the world, and I don’t the US will be immune from increased internet suppression.