This is a really interesting story, here.
In a partnership deal with software company Koodilehto, a Finnish crypto-currency group dubbed FIMKrypto is starting a little something called Kryptoradio, an initiative that will allow for the broadcast of the bitcoin blockchain via national television broadcasting networks in real time.
The partnership includes working with Digita, a Finnish national TV broadcaster. The broadcast signal will cover approximately 95 percent of Finnish territory, reaching up to five million people.
So you might be asking yourself: why?
The answer is simple. The broadcast will allow both merchants and consumers to receive blockchain data in real time without the need for an Internet or mobile Internet connection.
This scheme makes it easy to construct affordable receivers that do not need mobile data connections in order to follow bitcoin traffic and to react to the received bitcoin payments. This would make it possible to build bitcoin counterpart for cash payment terminals, anything from a cash register to a coin operated self-service laundry. If the receiver application follows only transactions relevant to itself, it will be possible to build it using even an ARM microcontroller.
Using the DVB-T broadcasting standard, the potential for this program to expand beyond the borders of Finland is immense. Just take a look at the map below:
You can see that this could really help with the expansion of bitcoin in countries in Africa, as an example, where internet connectivity can be difficult to come by.
The program is only a pilot, and will begin on the 1st of September, lasting for approximately two months. During that time, anyone who wishes to build/develop devices or applications using the technology is welcome to do so.
Following the pilot, FIMKrypto will seek to keep the broadcast over the air waves, but adds that the costs for doing so are significant. About €2000 per month.
“We are currently looking for partners to that stage,” the organization said.
Source Kryptoradio Image Breeze/Wikimedia
3-coin |
http://www.3-coin.com/2014-07-12/4387/
