6 ms·

This is slightly off-topic but it always seemed to me that FAANG has a vested interest in making internet access as fast, cheap, and highly available as possibl

by knubie 5y ago

This is slightly off-topic but it always seemed to me that FAANG has a vested interest in making internet access as fast, cheap, and highly available as possible (commoditize your compliment). So I wonder why they went in together on some kind of consortium to make that happen. Google tried their hand a few years ago and didn't get very far, and now it seems like it's Amazon's turn. It would make more sense to me if they pooled their resources together, but I guess that's easier said than done.

gpm 5y ago
Note that Google has invested in SpaceX around the time when Starlink was starting out, and that they're putting starlink ground stations at Google data centers.
- judge2020 5y ago
  Also, Starlink continues to show up as AS36492 (One of Google's AS).
  - yosito 5y ago
    AS?
    - gpm 5y ago
      Autonomous System, it has to do with internet traffic routing. Some real networking person might come and give a better definition than this, but my understanding is basically that where the "internet" is a series of connections between networks and protocols for routing traffic between them, one AS is (as bgp, the routing protocol, views it) one of those networks.
    - protomolecule 5y ago
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_system_(Internet) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_system_(Internet)
manquer 5y ago
It feels like Amazon interest is more because Blue Origin needed the workloads rather than Amazon was really keen by itself. Although they are now planning to launch the first sats with other providers, they seemed content to wait for BO despite the progress oneWeb and starlink were making. Google loon , fibre and were really hobby/limited projects without any real serious intent to take it to scale. Google invested a $ 1 Billion in one of its investment rounds in SpaceX partly to get starlink going . So they are still pooling resources in some sense, just not directly doing it. Facebook project seemed to get not get anywhere due to the backlash on limited access to only 100 sites etc. They did recently invest in indian teleco Reliance Jio, so perhaps they are doing something still.
robocat 5y ago
Facebook wants to monopolise the internet connection - they have no interest in sharing with advertising competitors. In the Phillipines when you get a phone plan or data plan, it includes free Facebook (I haven’t been there for a few years but I presume it is still the same). Many people use the word Facebook to refer to the Internet.
cranesnakecode 5y ago
They don't want to just satisfy their interests, that want to be the ones who profit the most from satisfying their interest. It's about getting a bigger share of the pie, and they're fine taking longer to get their slice if they can keep everyone else from having some and take their shares instead.

by knubie 5y ago

gpm 5y ago

Note that Google has invested in SpaceX around the time when Starlink was starting out, and that they're putting starlink ground stations at Google data centers.

judge2020 5y ago
Also, Starlink continues to show up as AS36492 (One of Google's AS).
- yosito 5y ago
  AS?
  - gpm 5y ago
    Autonomous System, it has to do with internet traffic routing. Some real networking person might come and give a better definition than this, but my understanding is basically that where the "internet" is a series of connections between networks and protocols for routing traffic between them, one AS is (as bgp, the routing protocol, views it) one of those networks.
  - protomolecule 5y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_system_(Internet) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_system_(Internet)

manquer 5y ago

It feels like Amazon interest is more because Blue Origin needed the workloads rather than Amazon was really keen by itself. Although they are now planning to launch the first sats with other providers, they seemed content to wait for BO despite the progress oneWeb and starlink were making. Google loon , fibre and were really hobby/limited projects without any real serious intent to take it to scale. Google invested a $ 1 Billion in one of its investment rounds in SpaceX partly to get starlink going . So they are still pooling resources in some sense, just not directly doing it. Facebook project seemed to get not get anywhere due to the backlash on limited access to only 100 sites etc. They did recently invest in indian teleco Reliance Jio, so perhaps they are doing something still.

robocat 5y ago

Facebook wants to monopolise the internet connection - they have no interest in sharing with advertising competitors. In the Phillipines when you get a phone plan or data plan, it includes free Facebook (I haven’t been there for a few years but I presume it is still the same). Many people use the word Facebook to refer to the Internet.

cranesnakecode 5y ago

They don't want to just satisfy their interests, that want to be the ones who profit the most from satisfying their interest. It's about getting a bigger share of the pie, and they're fine taking longer to get their slice if they can keep everyone else from having some and take their shares instead.