The space internet race is dawning. Here’s what to expect

Jul 24, 2019

The robotic arm in Japan's Kibo laboratory successfully deploys two combined satellites from Texas universities from the International Space Station, January 29, 2016. The pair of satellites -- AggieSat4 built by Texas A&M University students, and BEVO-2 built by University of Texas students -- together form the Low Earth Orbiting Navigation Experiment for Spacecraft Testing Autonomous Rendezvous and Docking (LONESTAR) investigation. REUTERS/NASA/Tim Peake/Handout ATTENTION EDITORS - FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - TM3EC311KOA01

The number of operational satellites in orbit could increase ten-fold in the next 10 years. Image: REUTERS/NASA/Tim Peake/Handout

Peter Lyons

Senior Adviser, Emerging Technologies, Lapa Capital

Riad Hartani

Co-Founder, Xona Partners

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Trackable man-made objects in orbit Image: CSpOC and UCS Database, March 2019

Submarine fibre-optic cable map, 2019

London to New York internet route over a satellite-to-satellite laser-optic network Image: Mark Handley/University College London

London to Singapore internet route over a satellite-to-satellite laser-optic network Image: Mark Handley/University College London

Orbital debris (red) created by March 2019 Indian ASAT satellite intercept (red), with the orbit of the International Space Station (white) as a comparison.

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