[2017-08-16] Africa to benefit as satellites beam Bitcoin from space

[tyz]

Africa to benefit as satellites beam Bitcoin from space

Blockstream, a provider blockchain and financial cryptography, has unveiled Blockstream Satellite, a new service that broadcasts real-time Bitcoin blockchain data from a group of communication satellites in space to almost everyone on the planet.

Blockstream Satellite enables further participation in Bitcoin, including the billions of people in the world without Internet access and people in places where bandwidth prices make participating cost-prohibitive.

This is a boost for regions like Africa which grapple with lack of Internet connectivity as well as expensive broadband. The African continent consists of remote locations, making it hard to receive clear Internet coverage.

http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=164078

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[iamTom123]

What a service! This can indeed be of big help to many people all over the world who have problems with their internet connection or really have no access to the internet. I am sure this can somehow also help in spreading the good news of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. I am hoping though that the service charge would still be affordable even if the investment here can be substantial. This is the way to go...so that even if there is no internet Bitcoin can still be of use and can survive. I would love to one day be able to use this service by Blockstream.

[buwaytress]

This is not short of amazing, having worked in a lot of near-zero Internet places. My last job in East Africa had us relying on very expensive satellite from a Danish ISP.

I just checked Blockstream and if the network status map is correct, the Africa satellite coverage only misses out Somalia, Madagascar and part of Ethiopia. The only issue now is the hardware needed according to GH. I know if I set that up in the places I worked in, I would also require security guards to make sure they stay where there are!

[Kprawn]

This is not short of amazing, having worked in a lot of near-zero Internet places. My last job in East Africa had us relying on very expensive satellite from a Danish ISP.

I just checked Blockstream and if the network status map is correct, the Africa satellite coverage only misses out Somalia, Madagascar and part of Ethiopia. The only issue now is the hardware needed according to GH. I know if I set that up in the places I worked in, I would also require security guards to make sure they stay where there are!

It does not provide internet access, but rather a channel directly to the Blockchain, with a initial cost of $100 US. Most

3rd world country citizens will not pay that to have access to the Blockchain. I can see small spaza shops doing this, to

enable them to receive bitcoins. < similar to a internet café > 

[buwaytress]

It does not provide internet access, but rather a channel directly to the Blockchain, with a initial cost of $100 US. Most

3rd world country citizens will not pay that to have access to the Blockchain. I can see small spaza shops doing this, to

enable them to receive bitcoins. < similar to a internet café > 

Yeah, I got that it doesn't provide Internet =) Was just saying that up til now, it was the only way you could access to the Bitcoin network there, so this is great news for the continent. Large swathes of it will not have Internet for years to come.

Small shops serving up Bitcoin payments? That's definitely a start! Plenty of Ethiopians and Kenyans with shops in E Africa, with at least part of the necessary equipment already.

[sonicwave]

It does not provide internet access, but rather a channel directly to the Blockchain, with a initial cost of $100 US. Most

3rd world country citizens will not pay that to have access to the Blockchain. I can see small spaza shops doing this, to

enable them to receive bitcoins. < similar to a internet café > 

Yeah, I got that it doesn't provide Internet =) Was just saying that up til now, it was the only way you could access to the Bitcoin network there, so this is great news for the continent. Large swathes of it will not have Internet for years to come.

Small shops serving up Bitcoin payments? That's definitely a start! Plenty of Ethiopians and Kenyans with shops in E Africa, with at least part of the necessary equipment already.

If this is so, then I'm sure that shops accept bitcoin only in tourist cities. And most likely use Bitcoin is not a local call, but visitors are citizens.
The population of Africa does not yet know what bitcoin is, there are poorly developed crypto-currencies

[Milo_Kidd]

Africa to benefit as satellites beam Bitcoin from space

Blockstream, a provider blockchain and financial cryptography, has unveiled Blockstream Satellite, a new service that broadcasts real-time Bitcoin blockchain data from a group of communication satellites in space to almost everyone on the planet.

Blockstream Satellite enables further participation in Bitcoin, including the billions of people in the world without Internet access and people in places where bandwidth prices make participating cost-prohibitive.

This is a boost for regions like Africa which grapple with lack of Internet connectivity as well as expensive broadband. The African continent consists of remote locations, making it hard to receive clear Internet coverage.

http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=164078

Is it means that they now have a strong internet connection in their place but not for free?. Maybe this time theres no free in terms of bussiness. There are amazing people who built and invent a useful things. And for our convenience using the service ofcourse we should give thanks and let us paid their talent. They build useful thing to make us comfortable. Its our responsibilty to pay back for using the service. For the inventors I salute you all. And I hope our place will be given a blessing to make comfortably living just like that service of installing, upgrading, etc. Modern technologies such as satellites and modern internet.