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India has become the largest 'connected' nation in the world with 800 million users, <keyword id="15760524" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="union-minister-of-state-for-electronics" source="Orion">Union Minister of State for Electronics</keyword> and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said.<br /><br />Speaking at the India Internet Governance Forum 2022 (IIGF2022), the minister said that 5G and the largest rural broadband connectivity network project at <keyword id="2791195" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bharatnet" source="Orion">BharatNet</keyword> will have 1.2 billion Indian users constituting the single largest presence of the global internet.<br /><br />"We also expect further technological innovations as well as updated regulatory policies to remain relevant. The deep involvement by all stakeholders will be the third leg of this 'Global Standard Cyber Law Framework' that, we hope, will catalyse the Indian Internet and the economy," Chandrasekhar told the gathering at the three-day event in the national capital on Sunday.<br /><br />The IIGF2022 brought together all stakeholders in the global Internet governance ecosystem, including government, industry, civil society and academia.<br /><br />"We are looking at building laws which ensure the privacy, protection, data, security and safety of our citizens. We are also looking at how to create a trillion-dollar digital economy in the next three years," said Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Secretary, MeitY.<br /><br />The event focused on discussing the roadmap to digitisation and reaffirming India as an essential participant on the global stage by highlighting its role and importance in international policy development on Internet governance.<br /><br />The India Internet Government Forum is an initiative associated with the UN Internet Governance Forum (UN-IGF).<br /><strong>SEE ALSO:</strong><br /><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/govt-to-seek-parliaments-nod-for-additional-expenses-for-current-fiscal/articleshow/96163228.cms" style="">Govt to seek Parliament's nod for additional expenses for current fiscal</a><br /><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/canadas-immigration-backlog-shrinks-to-2-2-million-from-2-4-million-last-month-ircc/articleshow/96161129.cms" style="">Canada's immigration backlog shrinks to 2.2 million from 2.4 million last month: IRCC</a><br />

India largest 'connected' nation with over 800 mn broadband users: Rajeev Chandrasekhar

<ul><li>Reliance Industries’ consumer businesses are expected to drive earnings growth going forward.</li><li>However, RIL’s aggressive expansion in its retail and 5G investments have led to its capital expenditure rising to an all-time high in FY23.</li><li>Brokerages maintained their bullish outlook on the company, noting that the leverage levels are expected to remain comfortable thanks to strong cash flows.</li></ul>In spite of its Q4 earnings beating analyst estimates, RIL stock traded flat on Monday as the street continues to remain cautious on account of its growing capex. In March, the stock touched a 52-week low of ₹2,180, and has been trading flat since the beginning of April. And, the recent earnings report hasn’t changed the trajectory. <br /><br />In the morning trade on Monday, its shares rose 0.2% to ₹2,354 and gave up most of the early morning gains due to profit booking. <br /><br />Reliance Industries Q4 <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/reliance-industries-q4-net-profit-of-19299-crore-beats-analyst-expectations-driven-by-retail/articleshow/99673940.cms">net profit rose</a> 19% YoY to ₹19,299 crore due to steady growth in the consumer businesses, and its revenues grew 2% to ₹2.16 lakh crore. <br /><br />For the full FY23, RIL <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/reliance-industries-q4-net-profit-of-19299-crore-beats-analyst-expectations-driven-by-retail/articleshow/99673940.cms">reported</a> a 9.9% rise in net profit to ₹66,702 crore, while the earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) was ahead of brokerage estimates at ₹1.4 lakh crore. The oil-to-data giant’s FY23 revenue grew 23.7% to ₹8.93 lakh crore.<br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Capital expenditure at an all-time high, funded by strong cash flows" comment="subhead" text="Capital expenditure at an all-time high, funded by strong cash flows"><span data-til="noop">Capital expenditure at an all-time high, funded by strong cash flows</span></cmsannotation><br /><br />While the topline and bottomline growth was ahead of estimates, RIL’s capital expenditure also rose to an all-time high of ₹1.4 lakh crore due to acquisition of 5G spectrum and rollout of 5G services. This also led to a 43% YoY rise in depreciation to ₹11,456, which impacted the company’s bottomline.<br /><br />However, brokerages do not seem to be concerned even as the capex and EBITDA both came in at ₹1.4 lakh crore for the whole year. “Capex rose to $17.6 billion in FY23 but this was fully funded by cash profits,” said a report by Goldman Sachs, adding that this gives a “comforting leverage guidance”.<br /><br />Brokerages also maintain that going forward, Jio-related capital expenditure will climb down since the company has front-loaded it as it seeks to complete the pan-India rollout of 5G by the end of 2023.<br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Brokerages see a 25% upside in the next 12 months" comment="subhead" text="Brokerages see a 25% upside in the next 12 months"><span data-til="noop">Brokerages see a 25% upside in the next 12 months</span></cmsannotation><br /><br />Analysts believe that RIL’s consumer business will be a key growth driver going forward. A rise in gross refining margins will be key for growth in the company’s O2C earnings, and also help it finance the new energy ambitions while maintaining debt at comfortable levels.<br /><br />Brokerages maintain their bullish outlook on the company, with an average target price of ₹2,954 in the next 12 months, presenting an upside of around 25%.<br /><br /><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Brokerage house <br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Rating <br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Target price <br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Jefferies <br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Buy <br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹3,125 <br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">JP Morgan<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Overweight <br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹2,960 <br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Goldman Sachs<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Buy <br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹2,890 <br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Kotak Institutional Equities <br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Buy<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹2,800 <br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">JM Financial <br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Buy<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹2,900 <br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Motilal Oswal <br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Buy <br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹2,800 <br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Nuvama Institutional Equities <br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Buy <br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹3,205 <br /><br /></td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table><br /><em>Source: Brokerages</em><br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Retail business steady, but softness observed in certain segments" comment="subhead" text="Retail business steady, but softness observed in certain segments"><span data-til="noop">Retail business steady, but softness observed in certain segments</span></cmsannotation><br /><br /><keyword id="58448" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Retail" source="Orion">Reliance Retail</keyword> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/reliance-retails-q4-net-profit-grows-12-9-on-the-back-of-rapid-expansion/articleshow/99673732.cms">posted</a> a 12.9% growth in net profit to ₹2,415 crore in the March quarter aided by growing footfalls, new store additions and high conversions. <br /><br />“In retail, with very sharp retail space growth, the rising share of new commerce and FMCG forays, growth will likely sustain at a fast clip,” said a report by Kotak Institutional Equities. <br /><br />In FY23, the company opened over 3,300 stores taking the total count to 18,040 stores. However, as they added more stores and warehousing space, depreciation went up by 91% to ₹1,188 crore during the quarter along with finance costs that shot up by 148%.<br /><br /><keyword id="58448" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Retail" source="Orion">Reliance Retail</keyword> is yet to fully ramp-up its operations from stores absorbed from Future Retail, which has led to its per square feet revenue to remain below the pre-Covid levels, said Jefferies. <br /><br />While Reliance Retail sounded excited about its foray into FMCG and beauty space, high capex due to expansion would have resulted in higher debt levels, say brokerages. “While we like Reliance Retail’s positioning in Indian retail, we remain perplexed with poor disclosures which leaves a lot to imagination,” it said. <br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Jio: Adding subscribers but with low yields" comment="subhead" text="Jio: Adding subscribers but with low yields"><span data-til="noop">Jio: Adding subscribers but with low yields</span></cmsannotation> <br /><br />Reliance Jio <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-net-profit-grows-1-7-sequentially-at-4716-crore-in-q4-fy23/articleshow/99674353.cms">reported</a> a net profit growth of 1.7% sequentially to ₹4,716 crore in March quarter from ₹4,638 crore last quarter. Its revenue from operations also grew marginally by 1.7% sequentially to ₹23,394 crore as compared to ₹22,998 crore in the previous quarter.<br /><br />“Although subscriber additions were strong and higher than expected, revenue growth was sluggish, due to disappointing ARPU growth (flat QoQ). We believe lower ARPU growth could be attributed to Jio doing away with most of the low end users and absence of any direct tariff hike in the quarter,” said Nuvama Institutional Equities in a report. <br /><br />The telecom business is currently focused on 5G roll out across India by December 2023. So far Jio has extended coverage of its 5G services to over 2,300 cities/towns across India. <br /><br />“In Jio, the near-term focus will be 5G and accelerated fixed broadband rollouts. As customer engagement picks up, we believe there is a case for tariff hike, but we conservatively assume tariff hike only after 2024 general elections,” said a report by Kotak Institutional Equities.<br /><br /><div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Text"><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div> <br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/markets/news/-some-sectors-will-benefit-from-lower-energy-prices-in-fy24-a-balasubramanian/articleshow/99722850.cms">Earnings to remain volatile in FY24, but some sectors will benefit from lower energy prices, says Aditya Birla Sun Life MF’s CEO A Balasubramanian</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/yes-bank-drops-nearly-5-as-high-provisions-drag-down-its-q4-net-profit/articleshow/99721698.cms">Yes Bank stock slips 5% as high provisions drag down its Q4 net profit</a><br /><br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/reliance-industries-q4-net-profit-of-19299-crore-beats-analyst-expectations-driven-by-retail/articleshow/99673940.cms"><strong>RIL’s Q4 net profit of ₹19,299 crore beats analyst expectations, driven by retail</strong></a><br />

RIL’s Q4 performance keeps brokerages bullish on the company’s prospects

Don't fear ChatGPT's brain. Worry about its very, very scary body.

<ul><li>The pandemic and the ensuing lockdown has changed our lives, perhaps forever. It has brought about many behavioural changes among consumers. While some were temporary, there are many that will perhaps become permanent.</li><li>People discovered the many conveniences of <keyword id="1245953" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ott" source="Orion">OTT</keyword> platforms during the last 2 years and the sector is only expected to grow from here.</li><li>Baskar Subramanian, Co-founder and CEO, <keyword id="751982" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amagi" source="Orion">Amagi</keyword> writes why OTT is getting consumer love and why the streaming media is here to stay. </li></ul>The pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns completely transformed our entertainment experience. From 'Let's go for a good movie', we moved to 'What should we watch on <keyword id="128682" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="netflix" source="Orion">Netflix</keyword>?'. Movie premiers and live sporting events like IPL and others have moved to OTT. For example, Netflix released the Kangana Ranaut starrer Thalaivi and Zee5 released Bob Biswas starring Amitabh Bachchan exclusively on OTT platforms. Homegrown web series like The Family Man, Sacred Games, Aarya, Special Ops, Aashram, Mirzapur and more undoubtedly elevated the popularity of OTT<br />platforms among the tech-savvy millennials and Gen Z population who had embraced OTT over Cable TV or DTH subscriptions even before the onset of the pandemic.<br /><br />Post the pandemic, however, the trend has only increased, fuelled by the many conveniences that OTT offers over traditional broadcast. With streaming TV, the fight for the remote is laid to rest. Every person in a household can watch their favorite shows on their personal devices. Content can be viewed even while travelling, and consumers are spoilt for choice with languages, content variety, and on-demand viewing. Consumers have made their preferences clear - more people are cutting the cord, shifting from paid TV subscriptions to internet-based streaming services. Boston Consulting Group predicts that the OTT content market is at an inflection point in India and is likely to reach a market size of $5 billion by 2023.<br /><br />From just two OTT platform providers in 2012 to about 40 players at present, the OTT revolution has come a long way in India. Estimates from Phando Corp suggest that monthly active users (MAUs) for India’s OTT video sector have grown at a blistering rate of 300% since 2019 to reach 680 million in 2021, with rural and tier 2 &amp; 3 cities consumption reaching an 80% share.<br /><br /><strong>West Versus India</strong><br />Several factors including the widespread availability of broadband infrastructure, the ubiquity of mobile phones and other connected portable devices, and quest for personalised experiences have spurred the adoption of OTT consumption in the Western world. At the same time, technology investments, the emergence of new apps, features, and independent platforms for OTT content have also been growth drivers. Tech companies such as Amazon, Facebook, Apple, YouTube, connected device providers such as Samsung, Xiaomi, LG, and studios such Disney, MGM, Paramount, Sony are among the major corporations who have entered the OTT space, giving a plethora of programming choices to the consumers in the West.<br /><br />The growth in OTT platforms combined with the subsequent content boom has seen vernacular content from different regions gaining international popularity. South Korean dystopian drama broke all records by becoming the most watched content on Netflix by netizens around the world. Similarly, Indian dramas such as Sacred Games and Delhi Crime were viewed and enjoyed by a global audience. As a result, all eyes are now firmly set on opportunities in emerging economies, specifically in the Indian subcontinent, with major players from the west entering the foray with attractive subscription offers, and diverse content catalogues. Some have chosen to collaborate with or acquire local brands to establish a firmer foothold in the region.<br /><br />For example, with the launch of Disney Plus in the US back in 2019, the streaming service promptly expanded to many other countries, including India. However, instead of getting a dedicated app for Indian users, the company acquired the Hotstar streaming platform and soon rebranded to Disney+ Hotstar. The coming together of Disney and Star TV Network (20th Century Fox) attracted tens of millions of subscribers in India and provided them access to a premium catalogue of content from Disney and Star TV.<br /><br />One of the challenges in India is the ability to monetize online content. Research suggests that the Advertising-led Video on Demand (AVOD) model is far more popular than Subscription-led video on demand (SVOD) models given the reluctance of viewers in India to pay for online content. While about 60% of total video viewing in India happens on YouTube, Netflix has 40 Mn monthly active users. Disney Plus Hotstar too has reached the critical mass with its freemium model, well-supported by relevant collaborations, such as sports (read cricket), which drives volume.<br /><br />Also, a KPMG study reveals that, unlike the West, only 10% of viewers access OTT platforms for watching original content. Rather, OTT is used primarily for the convenience of anytime and personal viewing of movies, music, sports or to catch-up with TV content.<br /><br /><strong>Driving OTT Growth in India</strong><br />As a country with a population of 1.23 billion, India is the next big market for OTT platforms. Some of the growth drivers for OTT players in India, based on the precedent from the West include:<br /><br />●<strong> Investments in Content</strong><br />Video streaming services are expected to spend around ₹1,920 crore to create original content for India in 2021, driven in part by the sharp rise in audiences during the 2020 lockdown. The platforms will further increase spends, including on sports, to ₹30,000 crore, during 2021-25, according to the latest FICCI-EY media and entertainment industry report. Around 500 original titles are likely to be released in 2021 across platforms, as opposed to 385 titles in 2019 and 220 in 2020.<br /><br />The investment in original content makes sense given that viewers are learning to pay for the content they consume, especially original content. In 2020, 29 million subscribers paid for 53 million OTT video subscriptions (not counting subscriptions bundled along with data plans), a figure that is estimated to increase to 39 million subscribers for 71 million subscriptions in 2021. Netflix has more than 40 originals scheduled for 2021 and is expanding its slate by nearly three times compared to 2020. Amazon Prime Video has 50 local originals in various stages of development and 30 in various stages of production. Demand for original content will likely double by 2023 compared to 2019 levels.<br /><br /><strong>● Content – the New Battlefield for Viewers</strong><br />Increasing number of consumers from tier-2 and tier-3 cities have spurred the production of regional content. Alt Balaji has seen a change after the pandemic. Before the pandemic, the top 8 cities in India contributed to 70% of their total audience; post-April 2020, 60% of the traffic is from other tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Old favourite shows are being re-aired on OTT platforms, while investments in new content production continue. Recently Amazon announced the acquisition of MGM, for $8.45 billion, giving it access to MGM’s library of 4000 film titles and 17,000 TV shows.<br /><br />We have witnessed the emergence of a wide variety of content including Indian content since India has a diverse market with over a dozen languages that are widely spoken across the country. OTT players are shifting their focus towards localisation of their platforms, to be able to connect with the Indian users, be it in terms of regional languages, geography and user experience etc. India already has about 40 OTT players and 10 music streaming apps in existence catering to various entertainment and media demands. This has opened the doors for OTT platforms to promote regional and hyperlocal content. In fact, a leading OTT player recently released 11 shows during the lockdown- all locally curated shows. The share of regional language consumption on OTT platforms is expected to cross 50% of total time spent by 2025, easing past Hindi at 45%.<br /><br />●<strong> Government Regulations</strong><br />The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has, in the past year, stressed the need for some form of regulation of OTT Platforms to streamline the sector. In this regard, the MIB recently notified the Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021.<br /><br />The new rules require OTT platforms to set up a robust three-tier grievance redressal mechanism. The first level will comprise regulation by the OTT Platform itself through a grievance officer. The second level will be an institutional self-regulatory body formed by publishers of content and their associations. This self-regulatory body will comprise industry experts headed by a retired Supreme Court/ High Court judge /eminent personality in the relevant field. At the third level is an inter-department committee constituted by the MIB that will provide oversight and hear appeals for decisions taken at level two or if a complaint is referred to the inter-department committee by MIB. Regulation might help improve the quality of content in the future.<br /><br /><strong>● The Future of OTT - New Applications and Content Innovations</strong><br />There is no doubt that the future of <keyword id="6357922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="television" source="Orion">television</keyword> is OTT, and the industry is at a nascent stage. Content is the force that defines the direction of evolution in the industry. New applications such as learning, education and fitness are being explored. Pricewaterhouse Coopers reported that in 2018, more than 40% of new internet users in the world were children. Edtech platforms like Byjus and Unacademy use the OTT streaming approach for education. Similarly, possible applications for learning management in corporations are being explored. While fitness was never considered an activity that could be done remotely, the pandemic saw this notion change. According to a Bobble.AI<br />report, besides video conferencing apps and websites, fitness applications such as Lose Weight, Cure.fit, recorded a 104.53% rise in daily active users. Video streaming platforms are also creating content to cater to this trend. Disney+ Hotstar has partnered with Brilliant Wellness, to introduce content from its fitness experts, yoga, and spiritual gurus.<br />--<br />India’s large population and relatively young age demographics make the business environment dynamic and interesting. Digital savvy young consumers in India are spread over a wide geography and have a vast range of preferences, languages and appreciate multi-cultural entertainment. As content and technology come together to create a solution that caters to this unique business environment, OTT and streaming media are here to stay.<br />

How India is ‘Cutting the Cord’ to drive an OTT revolution

<ul><li>Indian health startup cure.fit has raised $120 million in a series D round. </li><li>In May, Business Insider reported that cure.fit had raised $75 million in the first tranche of the round. </li><li>Cure.fit now plans to take up its centres from 180 to 800 in India and Dubai.</li></ul>Indian health and fitness startup cure.fit has raised $120 million in a Series D round of funding. In May 2019, a paper.vc <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/curefit-raises-75-million-from-anand-piramal-accel-partners-and-others/articleshow/69215063.cms">report </a>said that the startup raised $75 million in the first tranche of the series D round. <br /><br /><keyword id="3465872" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="curefit">Curefit</keyword> was founded in 2016 by Myntra co-founder <keyword id="705865" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mukesh-Bansal">Mukesh Bansal</keyword> and former Flipkart Chief Business Officer Ankit Nagori. It has fitness centres under the Cultfit brand and a health app called Curefit. It also has diagnostic centres called Carefit and yoga and meditation centres called mindfit. <br /><br />"Leveraging deep tech and strong on-ground network, we aspire to service over 100 million consumers over the next 10 years," said Bansal.<br /><br />In three years, the startup registered 4 lakh users for curefit, with 180 centres across Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, Mumbai and Hyderabad. All these provide an annual revenue of $100 million. The company now plans to grow to 800 centres by 2020.<br /><br />The startup has also expanded its operations to Dubai.<br /><br />This recent round was led by Chiratae Ventures, Accel Partners, Kalaari Capital &amp; Oaktree Capital, while new investors like Epiq Capital, Unilever Ventures, Innoven Capital and Kotak Mahindra Bank too chipped in. <br /><br />Curefit’s <a href="https://www.livemint.com/companies/start-ups/curefit-raises-75-million-valuation-crosses-500-million-1557206291458.html">reported</a> valuation is pegged at $500 million, after the latest fundraising.<br /><br />Earlier, the startup also raised funding from Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan, who is also the brand ambassador since 2017. Roshan had <a href="https://inc42.com/buzz/hrithik-roshan-pours-in-878-2k-in-fitness-startup-cure-fit/">reportedly </a>invested $14.63 million into the startup. <br /><br /><strong>See Also:</strong><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/curefit-raises-75-million-from-anand-piramal-accel-partners-and-others/articleshow/69215063.cms">Three-year old Curefit clocks in $100 mn in revenue and over $245 mn in total funding</a><br />

Cure.fit raises $120 million in a series D round of funding

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Rex Curry</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Amazon's ad business continues to surge, raking in $2.2 billion during the second quarter, the company revealed during second-quarter earnings. Amazon buckets the revenue into a line item called "other" that primarily comes from <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword>.</p><p>Amazon reported $52.9 billion in revenue during the quarter, down slightly from analysts' expectations. "Other" income jumped 129 percent year-over-year. The company reported $2 billion in "other" revenue during the first quarter.</p><p>To read more about Amazon's burgeoning ads business, <strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazons-ad-business-is-surging-and-its-starting-to-get-a-crack-at-bigger-brand-budgets-2018-7">click here.</a></strong></p><p><strong>In related news:</strong></p><p><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-q2-2018-earnings-report-2018-7">Amazon's stock popped 3% after it blew Wall Street away by reporting a record $2.5 billion profit.</a> </strong>Although its revenue fell shy of projections, investors still applauded the results, sending the stock up as much as 4% in after-hours trading.</p><p><strong>In other news:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-q2-2018-earnings-report"><strong>Twitter plummets 18% pre-market after reporting a decline in monthly active users.</strong></a> Twitter blamed the active user decline on new European privacy rules and its decision not to move to paid SMS carrier relationships, and on its efforts to clean up the platform.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-just-promoted-a-key-exec-and-the-move-hints-at-the-companys-future-advertising-plans-2018-7"><strong>Facebook just promoted a key exec - and the move hints at the company's future advertising plans.</strong></a> Mark D'Arcy has been promoted to VP of global business marketing and chief creative officer, a role that oversees Facebook's team of creative strategists and its more traditional marketing function.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anonymous-facebook-employees-react-to-stock-drop-2018-7"><strong>Facebook employees react to the company's massive stock-drop: 'I feel like s--t.'</strong></a> In messages seen by Business Insider on Bild, employees said they "feel like shit" and blamed over-hiring for Facebook's woes.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alex-jones-infowars-videos-deleted-blocked-youtube-facebook-2018-7"><strong>Facebook joined YouTube in scrubbing videos from pages belonging to InfoWars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.</strong></a> Facebook has removed four videos on pages belonging to InfoWars and its founder, Alex Jones, for violating the company's community standards, according to CNN.</p><p><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/cheddar-a-tv-disruptor-launches-a-traditional-cable-channel-1532610000"><strong>Cheddar is making a push onto the cable dial, reports The Wall Street Journal.</strong></a> The company this week went live on WOW, a Denver-based cable and broadband provider with close to 800,000 subscribers.</p>     <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cigna-ceo-express-scripts-merger-and-problem-with-healthcare-2018-7">The CEO of one of the largest health insurers in the US explains the problem with healthcare in America</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

What you need to know in advertising today

While India’s internet penetration might have grown over the years, the speed of internet is still considerably slow in the country. According to a recent <a href="https://www.thequint.com/tech-and-auto/tech-news/india-mobile-internet-speeds-april-slow-global-rank-ookla">report</a> by Ookla, the company behind Speedtest, India’s broadband speed rank continued to be 68 globally, whereas the mobile internet speed rank was at 121th position.<br /><br />Given the low internet speed, Indian internet users are often left complaining about poor performance of some of their daily use apps – be it to call a cab or order food. This had also led to companies like <keyword id="1042120" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uber">Uber</keyword>, <keyword id="6354720" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola">Ola</keyword>, <keyword id="2808667" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO">Oyo</keyword> bringing about a lighter version of their apps to help users use minimal data and storage space. <br /><br />Here, we are listing the top 7 must have <keyword id="6816945" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="lite-apps">Lite apps</keyword> for your smartphone featuring a minimalist app design using less RAM, storage and battery. These apps will make sure you achieve a more seamless, data conserving experience and rescue you if you are ever stuck in a tight spot! <br /><br /><strong>Uber Lite</strong><br /><br />One of the world’s biggest ride-hailing giants built a lite version of its app specifically for India. The lite version allows the user to book a ride even from low network areas and doesn’t take up an enormous amount of space on the phone. The Uber Lite which was built in India is less than 5 MB. However, maps in Uber Lite are an optional feature. <br /><br /><strong>Ola Lite</strong> <br /><br />Stuck in a place with a low network and not sure how to book your cab back home? Ola’s lightweight app that consumes less than 1 MB will save the day. No matter where you are or which network zone you are in, this app is a must-have on your smartphone to book a cab and get going! <br /><br /><strong>OYO Lite</strong><br /><br />All of us have made an impromptu travel plan at some point in our life either to the hills where there is no connectivity or a business trip to a crowded city with a phone that is dying because of the work calls. OYO Lite will help you find your perfect accommodation even in such circumstances. OYO Lite is fast and responsive, uses less data, takes up storage space of less than 800 KB! So, no matter where you plan to go, OYO Lite will help you book a place at the tap of a button even in the remotest locations.<br /><br /><strong><keyword id="685487" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Spotify">Spotify</keyword> Lite</strong><br /><br />Global music streaming app Spotify which had made its debut in India in February has immediately recognised the need for a lite version of its app in the country. Spotify has launched a lite beta version of its app for low-end Android smartphone users. It’s smaller in size (11MB) and lets users use the app seamlessly. <br /><br /><strong><keyword id="819905" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Instagram">Instagram</keyword> Lite<br /><br /></strong>In a social frenzy place where we love updating our interests and passion all the time, Instagram lite is one of the must-have apps on your phone. Instagram lite lets you browse through the posts on your timeline and even post Stories. It’s a massive cut down right from 32 MB to a mere 500 KB. So, there’s no stopping you from updating friends of the amazing time you are having even on top a hill!<br /><br /><strong><keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="YouTube">Youtube</keyword> Go<br /></strong><br />Whether you are driving home from your office or binging on some music videos you would want to enjoy this seamlessly in any case. With a basic user interface, Youtube Go is super fast and light and offers some of the better features of the stock app—like the option to save videos for offline viewing. Rest assured you won’t have to worry about data consumption or the fear of your phone getting heated up. <br /><br /><strong><keyword id="101252" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kindle">Kindle</keyword> Lite</strong><br /><br />This is for all the bookworms and the wordsmiths who practically eat sleep repeat Kindle! In the times when you forget to carry a Kindle with you, Kindle lite will ensure you don’t miss your next chapter. It’s essentially a packaged version of the Kindle mobile app, which has undergone updates giving you the best reading experience even on slow networks and with patchy connectivity. What’s more, you can choose from over five million books from the Kindle Store, from global best sellers to niche titles by Indian authors- the app has got you covered. <br />

Top 7 lite apps that take care of essentials even if your internet speed is too slow

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/spacexphotos/16512864369/">Flickr/SpaceX</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div>SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-carbon-fiber-fuel-tank-ocean-ship-test-2016-11">Mars-hungry</a> tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, just made a big move to enshroud the planet in high-speed internet coverage.</p><p>On November 15, the company filed <a href="http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/ib/forms/reports/swr031b.hts?q_set=V_SITE_ANTENNA_FREQ.file_numberC/File+Number/%3D/SATLOA2016111500118&amp;prepare=&amp;column=V_SITE_ANTENNA_FREQ.file_numberC/File+Number">a lengthy application</a> with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch 4,425 satellites. (We first heard about the filing through the <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/5d9724/spacex_has_filed_for_their_massive_constellation/">r/SpaceX community on Reddit</a>.)</p><p>That is a hell of a lot of satellites.</p><p>According to a database compiled by the Union of Concerned Scientists, there are <a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear-weapons/space-weapons/satellite-database">1,419 active satellites currently orbiting Earth</a>. There are estimates of roughly 2,600 satellites that no longer work floating in space, but even factoring those in, SpaceX's planned fleet would be larger than everything already in space.</p><p>Some of the <a href="http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Launchers/Ariane_5_Largest-ever_telecommunications_satellite_launched">biggest</a> telecommunications satellites can weigh several tons, be the size of a bus, and orbit from a fixed point about 22,000 miles (35,000 km) above Earth.</p><p>After we took a look at SpaceX's FCC application, though, it seems these won't be your typical telecommunications satellites.</p><p>Each satellite in SpaceX's planned constellation will weigh about 850 lbs (386 kg) and be roughly the size of a MINI Cooper car. They will orbit at altitudes ranging from 715 miles (1,150 km) to 790 miles (1,275 km).</p><p>From this lofty vantage point, SpaceX says each satellite could cover an ellipse about 1,300 miles (2,120 km) wide. That's about the size of the state of Rhode Island.</p><p>"The system is designed to provide a wide range of broadband and communications services for residential, commercial, institutional, governmental and professional users worldwide," SpaceX wrote in its application.</p><p> </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://licensing.fcc.gov/myibfs/download.do?attachment_key=1158350">SpaceX/FCC</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>SpaceX's filing with the FCC outlines a two-phase launch plan.</p><p>To get the party started, SpaceX wants to send up 1,600 satellites at one orbital altitude, then follow up with another 2,825 satellites placed in four shells at different altitudes.</p><p>"With deployment of the first 800 satellites, SpaceX will be able to provide widespread U.S. and international coverage for broadband services," SpaceX wrote. "Once fully optimized through the Final Deployment, the system will be able to provide high bandwidth (up to 1 Gbps per user), low latency broadband services for consumers and businesses in the U.S. and globally."</p><h2>Turbo speeds</h2><p>A speed of 1 Gbps globally would be huge.</p><p>The global average for internet speed in late 2015, according <a href="https://www.akamai.com/us/en/multimedia/documents/content/state-of-the-internet/q4-2015-state-of-the-internet-connectivity-report-us.pdf">Akamai's "State of the Internet" report</a>, was 5.1 Mbps per user - about 200 times slower than SpaceX's target - with most of the higher speeds tied up in cable and fiberoptic connections.</p><p>Here are some more details directly from SpaceX's filing, which are notable:</p><ul><li>High capacity: Each satellite in the SpaceX System provides aggregate downlink capacity to users ranging from 17 to 23 Gbps, depending on the gain of the user terminal involved. Assuming an average of 20 Gbps, the 1600 satellites in the Initial Deployment would have a total aggregate capacity of 32 Tbps. SpaceX will periodically improve the satellites over the course of the multi-year deployment of the system, which may further increase capacity.</li><li>High adaptability: The system leverages phased array technology to dynamically steer a large pool of beams to focus capacity where it is needed. Optical inter-satellite links permit flexible routing of traffic on-orbit. Further, the constellation ensures that frequencies can be reused effectively across different satellites to enhance the flexibility and capacity and robustness of the overall system.</li><li>Broadband services: The system will be able to provide broadband service at speeds of up to 1 Gbps per end user. The system's use of low-Earth orbits will allow it to target latencies of approximately 25-35 ms.</li><li>Worldwide coverage: With deployment of the first 800 satellites, the system will be able to provide U.S. and international broadband connectivity; when fully deployed, the system will add capacity and availability at the equator and poles for truly global coverage.</li><li>Low cost: SpaceX is designing the overall system from the ground up with cost- effectiveness and reliability in mind, from the design and manufacturing of the space and ground-based elements, to the launch and deployment of the system using SpaceX launch services, development of the user terminals, and end-user subscription rates.</li><li>Ease of use: SpaceX's phased-array user antenna design will allow for a low-profile user terminal that is easy to mount and operate on walls or roofs.</li><li>The satellites will last between 5 years and 7 years and decay within a year after that.</li></ul><p>Musk first discussed the unnamed satellite constellation project back in January 2015, later <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/space-x-is-trying-to-serve-up-internet-service-from-space-2015-6">filing for an FCC application</a> to test basic technologies that'd support it.</p><p>According to a June 2015 story by Christian Davenport <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/spacex-founder-files-with-government-to-provide-internet-service-from-space/2015/06/09/db8d8d02-0eb7-11e5-a0dc-2b6f404ff5cf_story.html">at The Washington Post</a>, Musk said the project - estimated to cost some $10 billion - "would be like rebuilding the Internet in space."</p><p>Davenport also noted that Google and Fidelity invested $1 billion into Musk's company, in part to support the project, so it's a good guess that if and when the network becomes functional, those companies would partly assume control of it. (Google parent company Alphabet is also working on its own effort to beam internet connectivity from the skies using satellites, balloons and drones).</p><p>The filing comes just two months after a SpaceX rocket exploded during a routine launchpad test. It was carrying the $200 million AMOS-6 satellite, which <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facebooks-mark-zuckerberg-deeply-disappointed-by-spacex-explosion-2016-9">Facebook intended to license</a> to beam free internet to parts of Africa.</p><p>Business Insider contacted SpaceX for more details on the project, including its projected timeline and how the satellites would be launched (presumably through Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets), but representatives did not immediately answer our questions.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/boeings-detailed-plans-beat-spacex-mars-2016-10">Here's how Boeing plans to beat SpaceX by landing the first humans on Mars</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="N3a3FjNjE6WBkJlJ9j6B9DrLnc_Al2d6" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

SpaceX just asked permission to launch 4,425 satellites - more than all satellites currently orbiting Earth

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and a Mars colonization evangelist, may face a big snag in his dream to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-internet-satellite-constellation-2016-11">bathe the globe</a> in high-speed internet: the Chinese military.</p><p>On November 15, SpaceX asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to launch 4,425 internet-providing satellites. That is hundreds more satellites than currently orbit Earth, including the dead ones.</p><p>But as far back as January 2015, when Musk first <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHeZHyOnsm4">debuted his global internet project</a> at a new SpaceX satellite factory in Seattle, he noted how China could pose a significant hurdle for his plans.</p><p>The Chinese government would have to agree to let SpaceX build antenna dishes, or ground links, to send and receive data to and from the company's spacecraft. But that nation routes internet access for its <a href="http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=CN">1.37 billion</a> inhabitants through "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-is-winning-its-war-against-internet-freedom-2016-5">the Great Firewall</a>," a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-heightens-internet-restrictions-2016-3">censorship technology</a> that blocks foreign news, mentions of citizen uprisings (like the Tiananmen Square Massacre), or anything else Chinese officials don't like on the web.</p><p>"Obviously, any given country can say it's illegal to have a ground link. [...] And from our standpoint we could conceivably continue to broadcast," Musk said during the event. "I mean, I'm hopeful that we can structure agreements with various countries to allow communication with their citizens, but it is on a country-by-country basis."</p><p>But what if SpaceX continued to broadcast uncensored internet over China, despite not being given permission?</p><p>"If they get upset with us, they can blow our satellites up, which wouldn't be good," Musk said. "China can do that. So probably we shouldn't broadcast there."</p><h2>Satellite killers</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">A missile launcher similar to the one used by China to destroy an old satellite in 2007.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Musk has good reason to fear the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China.</p><p>In January 2007, the PLA launched a "<a href="http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/satellites/a1782/4218443/">kinetic kill vehicle</a>" - the space equivalent of a giant bullet - atop a mobile, multi-stage rocket.</p><p>The target was an old Chinese weather satellite called Feng Yun-1C (FY-1C), and the head-on collision between the two objects happened at roughly 18,000 mph (8 km per second).</p><p>It was an impressive, if frightening, demonstration that echoed the US military's <a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/legacy/assets/documents/nwgs/a-history-of-ASAT-programs_lo-res.pdf">anti-satellite test of October 1985</a>. That US satellite-killing exercise blasted an old solar observatory called Solwind into more than 280 pieces.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Celestrak/Analytical Graphics, Inc." title_caption="Red dots are known pieces of China's destroyed FY-1C satellite. Green dots are low-Earth orbit satellites." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5833527de02ba71e008b59c8-960/china-fengyun-fy-1c-satellite-killer-space-debris-celestrak.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>Celestrak/Analytical Graphics, Inc.</span></p><p class="caption">Red dots are known pieces of China's destroyed FY-1C satellite. Green dots are low-Earth orbit satellites.</p></div><p></p></div></div>In the case of China's 2007 anti-satellite test, however, the impact created nearly 4,000 new detectable chunks of space debris.</p><p>Hundreds of pieces of FY-1C have slowed down enough to burn up in Earth's atmosphere, but some 3,438 roughly softball-size pieces are still zooming around the planet at speeds of thousands of miles per hour. What's more, <a href="http://spacenews.com/u-s-official-china-turned-to-debris-free-asat-tests-following-2007-outcry/">according to Space News</a>, roughly half of those chunks will stay in orbit until 2027.</p><p>There may also be as many as 35,000 fingernail-size bits of FY-1C debris circling the Earth which - like so many tiny bullets - even the most advanced ground radar stations can't track, <a href="http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/satellites/a1782/4218443/">according to Popular Mechanics</a>.</p><p>In fact, despite the vast distances that separate satellites hundreds of miles above Earth, pieces of FY-1C have already <a href="http://www.space.com/20138-russian-satellite-chinese-space-junk.html">destroyed a Russian satellite</a> and <a href="http://www.space.com/14398-space-station-dodges-chinese-space-junk.html">nearly whacked the International Space Station</a>.</p><p>FY-1C's trash is just one source of space junk, though. Decades of launching artificial satellites into orbit has created an orbiting field of trash that NASA scientists fear is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/space-junk-at-critical-density-2015-9">reaching a "critical density"</a>: when more junk is being created than is falling out of the sky.</p><p>Efforts are underway to figure out ways to clean up this deadly trash around Earth, including <a href="http://spacenews.com/u-s-official-china-turned-to-debris-free-asat-tests-following-2007-outcry/">one effort by the Chinese</a>, but it's an intractably <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kids-want-to-clean-up-space-junk-orbiting-earth-with-the-hubble-2016-6">difficult task</a> and progress has been slow.</p><p>So even if China doesn't exercise its satellite-killing capabilities, which it has continued to develop, SpaceX will have to confront the persistent threat of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mind-blowing-video-of-space-junk-evolution-since-1957-2015-12">space junk</a> smacking into its giant constellation of internet satellites - and creating even more of a threat if that happens.</p><h2>How SpaceX's global internet might work</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/spacexphotos/page2">SpaceX/Flickr</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>According to a database compiled by the Union of Concerned Scientists, <a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear-weapons/space-weapons/satellite-database">1,419 active satellites are currently orbiting Earth</a>. Roughly 2,600 satellites that no longer work are thought to be floating in space, but even factoring those in, SpaceX's planned fleet would be larger than everything already in space.</p><p>Some of the <a href="http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Launchers/Ariane_5_Largest-ever_telecommunications_satellite_launched">biggest</a> telecommunications satellites can weigh several tons, be the size of a bus, and orbit from a fixed point about 22,000 miles, or 35,000 kilometers, above Earth.</p><p>According to SpaceX's FCC application, though, it seems these won't be typical telecommunications satellites.</p><p>Each satellite in SpaceX's planned constellation will weigh about 850 pounds, or 386 kilograms, and be roughly the size of a MINI Cooper car. They will orbit at altitudes ranging from 715 miles (1,150 km) to 790 miles (1,275 km).</p><p>From this lofty vantage point, SpaceX says, each satellite could cover an ellipse about 1,300 miles (2,120 km) wide. That's about the distance from Maine to the Florida panhandle.</p><p>"The system is designed to provide a wide range of broadband and communications services for residential, commercial, institutional, governmental and professional users worldwide," SpaceX wrote in its application.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="SpaceX/FCC" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/582ce93ce02ba734008b4c64-960/spacex-internet-satellite-details.png"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span><a href="http://licensing.fcc.gov/myibfs/download.do?attachment_key=1158350">SpaceX/FCC</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>SpaceX's filing with the FCC outlines a two-phase launch plan.</p><p>To get the party started, SpaceX wants to send up 1,600 satellites at one orbital altitude, then follow up with another 2,825 satellites placed in four shells at different altitudes.</p><p>"With deployment of the first 800 satellites, SpaceX will be able to provide widespread U.S. and international coverage for broadband services," SpaceX wrote. "Once fully optimized through the Final Deployment, the system will be able to provide high bandwidth (up to 1 Gbps per user), low latency broadband services for consumers and businesses in the U.S. and globally."</p><p>During his January 2015 talk, <a href="http://shitelonsays.com/transcript/spacex-seattle-2015-2015-01-15">Musk said</a> the full system "would be $10 or $15 billion to create, maybe more. Then, the user terminals will be at least $100 to $300 depending on which type of terminal."</p><p>And it's all a means to an end.</p><p>"This is intended to be a significant amount of revenue and help fund <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-mars-speech-transcript-2016-9">a city on Mars</a>," he said.</p><h2>Turbo speeds</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/license/158774123">Patrick Lux/Getty Images</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>A speed of 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) globally would be huge.</p><p>The global average for internet speed per user in late 2015, according <a href="https://www.akamai.com/us/en/multimedia/documents/content/state-of-the-internet/q4-2015-state-of-the-internet-connectivity-report-us.pdf">Akamai's "State of the Internet" report</a>, was 5.1 Mbps second - about 200 times slower than SpaceX's target - with most of the higher speeds tied up in cable and fiber-optic connections.</p><p>SpaceX also makes the point in its <a href="http://broadbandcommission.org/Documents/publications/HLPF-July2016.pdf">filing's legal statement</a> that, according to <a href="http://broadbandcommission.org/Documents/publications/HLPF-July2016.pdf">a July report</a> by UNESCO's Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, "4.2 billion people (or 57% of the world's population) are offline for a wide range of reasons, but often also because the necessary connectivity is not present or not affordable."</p><p>Bathing the planet in internet is one way to get those people online.</p><p>Here are some more details directly from SpaceX's filing, which are notable:</p><ul><li><strong>High capacity:</strong> Each satellite in the SpaceX System provides aggregate downlink capacity to users ranging from 17 to 23 Gbps, depending on the gain of the user terminal involved. Assuming an average of 20 Gbps, the 1600 satellites in the Initial Deployment would have a total aggregate capacity of 32 Tbps. SpaceX will periodically improve the satellites over the course of the multi-year deployment of the system, which may further increase capacity.</li><li><strong>High adaptability:</strong> The system leverages phased array technology to dynamically steer a large pool of beams to focus capacity where it is needed. Optical inter-satellite links permit flexible routing of traffic on-orbit. Further, the constellation ensures that frequencies can be reused effectively across different satellites to enhance the flexibility and capacity and robustness of the overall system.</li><li><strong>Broadband services:</strong> The system will be able to provide broadband service at speeds of up to 1 Gbps per end user. The system's use of low-Earth orbits will allow it to target latencies of approximately 25-35 ms.</li><li><strong>Worldwide coverage:</strong> With deployment of the first 800 satellites, the system will be able to provide U.S. and international broadband connectivity; when fully deployed, the system will add capacity and availability at the equator and poles for truly global coverage.</li><li><strong>Low cost:</strong> SpaceX is designing the overall system from the ground up with cost- effectiveness and reliability in mind, from the design and manufacturing of the space and ground-based elements, to the launch and deployment of the system using SpaceX launch services, development of the user terminals, and end-user subscription rates.</li><li><strong>Ease of use:</strong> SpaceX's phased-array user antenna design will allow for a low-profile user terminal that is easy to mount and operate on walls or roofs.</li><li><strong>Lifespan: </strong>The satellites will last between 5 years and 7 years and decay within a year after that.</li></ul><p>Musk first discussed the unnamed satellite constellation project back in January of last year, later <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/space-x-is-trying-to-serve-up-internet-service-from-space-2015-6">filing for an FCC application</a> to test basic technologies that would support it.</p><p>At the time, <a href="http://shitelonsays.com/transcript/spacex-seattle-2015-2015-01-15">Musk said during a SpaceX event</a> (our emphasis added):</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">"The focus is going to be on creating a global communications system. This is quite an ambitious effort. <strong>We're really talking about something which is, in the long term, like rebuilding the Internet in space.</strong> The goal will be to have the majority of long distance Internet traffic go over this network and about 10% of local consumer and business traffic. So that's, still probably 90% of people's local access will still come from fiber but we'll do about 10% business to consumer direct and more than half of the long distance traffic."</p><p>According to a June 2015 story by Christian Davenport <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/spacex-founder-files-with-government-to-provide-internet-service-from-space/2015/06/09/db8d8d02-0eb7-11e5-a0dc-2b6f404ff5cf_story.html">at The Washington Post</a>, Google and Fidelity invested $1 billion into Musk's company, in part to support the project. So it's a good guess that if and when the network becomes functional, those companies would partly assume control of it. (Google's parent company, Alphabet, is also working on its own effort to beam internet connectivity from the skies using satellites, balloons, and drones.)</p><p>The filing comes just two months after a SpaceX rocket exploded during a routine launchpad test. It was carrying the $200 million AMOS-6 satellite, which <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facebooks-mark-zuckerberg-deeply-disappointed-by-spacex-explosion-2016-9">Facebook intended to license</a> to beam free internet to parts of Africa.</p><p>SpaceX declined to comment or provide more details on the project, including its projected timeline and how the satellites would be launched (presumably through Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets).</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/international-space-station-iss-avoid-space-debris-junk-2016-10">Here's how the Space Station avoids hitting the thousands of pieces of junk in space</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="s2OG1zMjE6o4DYyrBPJApoZrRTuBY-4q" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Elon Musk's plan to blanket Earth in high-speed internet may face a big threat: China

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><ul><li><strong>SpaceX launched two experimental satellites on Thursday.</strong></li><li><strong>The satellites are designed to test Starlink, a concept to bathe all of Earth in high-speed broadband internet using a fleet of 12,000 satellites.</strong></li><li><strong>Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, posted a video of the new satellites deploying into orbit.</strong></li><li><strong>Musk named the satellites "Tintin A" and "Tintin B."</strong></li></ul><p><br>The first pieces of a radical plan to bathe Earth with high-speed internet access just <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starlink-internet-satellite-launch-paz-youtube-2018-2">launched into space</a>.</br></p><p>SpaceX, the rocket company founded by Elon Musk, piggybacked two experimental spacecraft onto a rocket that deployed a Spanish radar satellite into orbit.</p><p>Officially known as Microsat-2a and Microsat-2b, the spacecraft will test technologies that would enable the creation of a pervasive broadband network with connection speeds roughly 180 times the global average.</p><p>"Today's Falcon launch carries 2 SpaceX test satellites for global broadband," Musk <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/966298034978959361" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted on Wednesday</a> (before a launch delay). "If successful, Starlink constellation will serve least served."</p><p>The scale of plans for the space-based network, known as Starlink, boggles the mind. In the coming years, SpaceX may launch 4,425 Starlink satellites into orbit <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-internet-satellite-constellation-2016-11">some 700 to 800 miles above Earth</a>, plus another 7,500 similar spacecraft into lower orbits.</p><p>That's nearly 12,000 satellites - more than twice the number of all satellites launched in history, <a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear-weapons/space-weapons/satellite-database" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to a count</a> by the Union of Concerned Scientists.</p><p>If the project is successful, people around the world would get internet that's about <a href="https://www.reviews.com/satellite-internet/hughesnet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">40 times faster</a> than current satellite internet providers, even in incredibly remote and rural areas.</p><p>SpaceX and Musk released the first-ever public images and video of the satellites shortly after their launch on Thursday.</p><h2>The first images of Starlink satellites</h2><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p>The Spanish satellite, called Paz, deployed about 11 minutes after the Falcon 9 rocket launched, followed by Microsat-2a and Microsat-2b some time after that.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p-PToD2URA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">live webcast of the Paz mission</a> launch on YouTube offered the first-ever (though somewhat fuzzy) glimpses of the two Starlink satellites (above).</p><p>An announcer said during SpaceX's live webcast that the company couldn't show the deployment of the Starlink demonstration satellites because of poor signal coverage. However, the rocket later beamed down high-resolution video of the satellites deploying.</p><p>"First two Starlink demo satellites, called Tintin A &amp; B, deployed and communicating to Earth stations," Musk <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/966703261699854336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> with a clip of them floating out into space.</p><p><br>Musk later said the two satellites "will attempt to beam 'hello world'" on Friday when they pass over Los Angeles - a critical moment that would show the spacecraft can talk to ground stations.</br></p><p>"Don't tell anyone, but the wifi password is 'martians,'" Musk <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/966706924124188672" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joked</a>.</p><p>The list of Starlink test ground stations, according to Federal Communications Commission <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/document/5a847a068ceb956a18b845d7/spacex-fcc-starlink-microsat-experiment-ground-station-details.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">documentation</a> released earlier this month, includes the offices of Musk's electric-car company, Tesla, which sells internet-connected vehicles. Here's the full list:</p><ul><li>SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California.</li><li>Tesla Motors headquarters in Fremont, California.</li><li>SpaceX test center in McGregor, Texas.</li><li>SpaceX in Brownsville, Texas.</li><li>SpaceX in Redmond, Washington.</li><li>SpaceX in Brewster, Washington.</li><li>Three mobile "test vans."</li></ul><p>In November, the FCC&#xa0;<a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/spacex-elon-musk-launches-internet-satellites-saturday-falcon-9/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gave SpaceX permission</a> to launch the two spacecraft and test its space-based internet concept.</p><h2>How Starlink customers would get online</h2><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Musk and SpaceX have said little about their plan since announcing it in 2015, but the full, nearly 12,000-satellite fleet ultimately needs approval from the FCC, which regulates internet access.<p>It may seem like an absurd task to launch thousands of satellites, but SpaceX regularly deploys <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-reusable-rocket-launch-ses10-2017-3">10 at a time</a> with its reusable Falcon 9 rocket system.</p><p>The company has also successfully <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/falcon-heavy-spacex-epic-rocket-launch-in-person-2018-2">test-launched its Falcon Heavy system,</a>&#xa0;an even larger reusable rocket that can send <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-falcon-heavy-launch-cost-industry-pricing-vs-ula-2018-2">twice as much payload</a> into low-Earth orbit as the next-largest launcher on the market - at perhaps one-fourth the cost.&#xa0;</p><p>Thus, it's feasible that Falcon Heavy could deploy dozens of Starlink satellites in a single launch.</p><p>Musk hopes to get Starlink in an operational (though not complete) state sometime around 2024, according <a href="https://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2017/09/19/spacex-files-trademark-starlink-satellite-broadband-internet-constellation-elon-musk/680714001/">to Florida Today</a>, and start selling access around that time.</p><p>Musk and SpaceX have not yet said what the monthly cost of the service might be. However, Musk said in 2015 that user terminals should be laptop-size and cost between $100-$300 each.</p><h3>Read more about SpaceX's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starlink-microsat-launch-global-internet-2018-2">plan to create Starlink</a>.</h3><div><div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:54%"></div></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacecraft-cemetery-pacific-ocean-dead-satellites-2017-10">There's a place at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean where hundreds of giant spacecraft go to die</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div></hr>

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