Start-up to bring satellite internet to Amazonas

Brazilian newspaper Agencia Estado reports that start-up telecoms company O3b Networks is looking to provide internet access in the north-eastern Amazonas region of the country. The paper says that O3b, which is partnering local firm BrasilOzonio, has already raised USD1.2 billion in worldwide investment from banks and groups such as Google to deploy high speed satellite internet access to other countries, and now hopes to add Amazonas to its footprint by 2013. The start-up’s chief executive Steve Collar says: ‘The eight non-geostationary satellites for Amazonas are being built and should be finished by the end of next year.’ At the start of this week the companies involved in the project announced an agreement with the state to carry out the work. O3b is using high orbit geostationary satellites to deliver the service, which it claims allows for a more powerful signal and reduced interference. Ultimately O3B plans to cover the whole of Brazil with its satellite internet signal.