[aprssig] [amsat-bb] Free content from six satellites via Outernet (APRS?)

[Robert Bruninga]

Free content from six satellites via Outernet (APRS?)

We should find someone to work with the OUTERNET folks to add an amateur
radio channel to their downlink.  Their satellites could provide
connectivity to 99% of amateur radio operators on earth.  In addition, Ham
Radio can bring to OUTERNET an uplink capability that they currently don't
have.  And the uplink can be from the same remote areas where there is no
service...

How?  Like this.  They simply take the APRS packet data stream from the
global APRS Internet System (APRS-IS) and stream it in their downlink for
hams.  Then hams anywhere on earth can transmit traffic via HF back into the
system.  Since the APRS-IS is one of the world's largest HF
receiver-diversity receiver networks in the world, then a packet transmitted
from almost anywhere on earth has a reasonable chance of being heard at
least once at least somewhere and interjected back into the network, where
it gets to the OUTERNET and then in the downlink.

The only question, is the atrophy of our HF IGates?  Years ago, the HF
channel on 10,147.2 MHz had receivers all over the world.  I have not
listened much recently, but maybe there is still a viable network there.
And if not, maybe we could re-invigorate it if it meant global APRS
connectivity for ham travelers and hams in remote areas.  An HF packet
transmitter can be as small as a cigar box and solar powered.

Has anyone tuned in the OUTERNET downlink?  I have heard anyone with
OUTERNET's free ORxPi software and a Raspberry Pi can get the OUTERNET
content when plugged into a DVB-S tuner.

Then there is of course the arm-chair-lawyers concern of  rebroadcast of
amateur radio content on a non-ham network?

Bob, WB4APR

-----Original Message-----
From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org] On Behalf Of Thane
Richard
Sent: Friday, November 13, 2015 1:22 PM
Subject: [amsat-bb] Free content from six satellites via Outernet

Hello everyone,

My name is Thane and I lead content and business development at Outernet.
Some of you may be aware of us but I suspect most are not. I am writing this
email to introduce Outernet to AMSAT.

Outernet broadcasts a DVB-S signal
<https://wiki.outernet.is/wiki/Coverage_and_transponder_settings> from six
different satellites covering 99% of humans on Earth. We created this
information service to reach the 4.3 billion people who do not have Internet
access and designed it to overcome the problems the Internet presents,
namely download speed and recurring cost. Our datacast is completely free to
receive, our bitrate is 90 Kbps (~1 GB/day of content), and you can even
build your own receiver with a Raspberry Pi <http://store.outernet.is/>.

Right now, the content we send is curated by us and a group of editors but
we are working on a Reddit/Wikipedia/YouTube mashup where the contents of
our broadcast can be decided publicly. Currently, we broadcast Wikipedia,
30,000+ ebooks, PLOS One journal articles, Khan Academy, CK12 textbooks,
music from SoundCloud, and more.

I want to invite this community to be involved in Outernet and help us build
this project. Our current focus is on developing channels to get devices
into schools and generally into countries/areas where Internet penetration
is very low.

Our forum <http://discuss.outernet.is> is very active with users and
Outernet staff. Please stop by!

Avidly,
Thane

--
Thane Richard <https://twitter.com/thanerichard>
Content and Business Development Lead
Outernet <http://outernet.is/>

*Outernet in the press:* WIRED
<http://www.wired.com/2015/07/plan-beam-web-3-billion-unconnected-humans/>
,
Inc.com <http://www.inc.com/dev-aujla/a-library-for-all.html>, TechCrunch
<http://techcrunch.com/2015/03/13/outernet-joins-the-space-race-for-intern
et-accessibility/>
, Gizmodo
<http://gizmodo.com/what-is-the-outernet-and-is-it-the-future-of-the-inter
n-1659647614>
, BBC <http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29593734>, CNN
<http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/11/tech/internet-for-everyone/>, Fast Company
<http://www.fastcolabs.com/3027663/all-about-google-loons-low-cost-space-b
ased-competitor-outernet>
, LA Times
<http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-g-outernet-explained-201
40808-htmlstory.html>
, Motherboard
<http://motherboard.vice.com/read/how-the-outernet-plans-to-broadcast-free
-internet-from-space>

Our receiver, Lighthouse, is now available! To show how revolutionary
Lighthouse is, we installed one in a remote school in Uganda. Watch the
video here <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlQFoGK1aWQ>.
_______________________________________________
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