Unreasonable Impact | The Next Generation of Rural Infrastructure: Q&A with Altaeros Energies
Originally posted on Unreasonable Impact, created with Barclays
In the twenty-first century, having internet connection is nearly synonymous with participating in the global economy. Yet many people who live in rural areas, especially in developing countries, remain beyond the reach of the infrastructure required for modern communication.
By the end of 2016, mobile-broadband networks – 3G or above – reached 84 percent of the global population, but only 67 percent of the rural population. Just over half of the world’s population is still not using the internet. In essence, billions of people are being left behind.
Over half of the world’s population is still not using the internet. Seemingly something out of a science-fiction movie, Altaeros Energies has developed the world’s first autonomous aerostat system to deploy energy and communication to more people at a fraction of the cost. In other words, they have effectively created a really tall cell tower (up to 600 meters off the ground) that can provide as much mobile coverage as at least 20 ground-based cell towers. Not only that, but this tethered airborne platform can lift a lightweight wind turbine up into the sky where winds are strong and consistent, harnessing exponential amounts of clean energy.
Unreasonable sat down with Altaeros’s Founder and CEO/CTO, Ben Glass, to discuss what it’s like to develop the next generation of infrastructure to affordably and sustainably connect billions of people.
