As the Internet continues to cement itself as the world’s best content delivery medium, Japan has signaled that it’s committed to bringing a superfast connection to that content to every corner of the country by launching the WINDS satellite.

The Wideband InterNetworking engineering test and Demonstration Satellite (WINDS satellite) “took off into over the tiny island of Tanegashima, about 1,000 km (620 miles) south of Tokyo, at 5.55 p.m. (0855 GMT),” according to Reuters.

The WINDS satellite is part of a Japanese space initiative focused on bringing the Internet to remote parts of Japan and Asia.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency told Reuters that “the WINDS will help develop a society with no digital divide where everyone can enjoy high-speed communications equally no matter where they live.”

There is disagreement on whether or not the digital divide exists, and to what degree it affects economic status and overall success. “The existence of a digital divide is not universally recognized. Compaine (2001) argues it is a perceived gap. Technology gaps are relatively transient; hence the digital divide should soon disappear in any case. The knowledge of computers will become less important as they get smarter and easier to use.”

Regardless, providing a superfast connection to the Internet via a wireless link to WINDS creates a potentially rock solid network infrastructure that’s well equipped to endure earthquakes, storms and erosion.

Still, critics of WINDS say “about 95 percent of households in Japan are capable of having broadband Internet access. So, why now?”

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Entry was posted on Saturday, February 23rd, 2008 at 12:01 pm under Internet, Science and technology, Technology.  Print This Post

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