Apple may be considering a deal to purchase a communications satellite built by Boeing, a report from Reuters says.
The deal is apparently still in the earliest stages, and Reuters lists Google, Facebook, and other tech companies as potential interested parties, though Boeing hasn’t confirmed any companies currently involved in the talks.
Jim Simpson, vice president of business development and chief strategist for Boeing Network and Space Systems, told Reuters the big technology firms were keen to expand Internet access around the world to help them grow.
“The real key to being able to do these type of things is ultra high-throughput capabilities, where we’re looking at providing gigabytes, terrabytes, pedabytes of capability,” Simpson told Reuters after a panel at the Satellite 2015 conference.
There aren’t many details on what might be involved in the deal. Boeing is hoping to close the deal by the end of the year. What exactly Apple would do with the satellite is a mystery, if the company even goes through with such a deal, which seems unlikely. It’s possible that the satellite could be useful for GPS or mapping data.
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What the hell does Apple want to do with a Satellite? This can’t be cheaper than running a big ole fat pipe down the interstate…. I hope Tim isn’t spreading the company too thin.
OK I thought about it. – tracking an AppleCar perchance….. but still.
Digging holes and physically wiring the nation is a heck of a lot more costly and time consuming than beaming it down
There are many parts of the world which are not close to an interstate. Apple is now a global company, while most Apple products and services are highly dependent on having fast and reliable internet access.
Satellite internet access would not solely allow customers to access the internet in places where access is currently difficult, but more importantly, Apple would be able to offer a consistent user experience all the way from the server farm to the device without depending on any non-Apple services.
Having a satellite internet delivery system would also make it much more difficult for countries to censor internet content.
What on earth would be unlikely about it? Did you just get out of a coma?
No, why? Did you? Apple has no use for a Boeing comms satellite at the moment.
A good use would be access to iCloud without a service provider. Then the phone would truly be un-stealable.
“Pedabytes,” eh? I guess that must be more than petabytes.
May be hoping to run iCar,iTv and iEarth smoothly and provide Internet access to remote areas ….