đź“…This fact may be outdated
MDIF did incubate Outernet around 2014 with plans to beam free internet from space using hundreds of small satellites. However, the project never materialized as promised. It was rebranded to 'Othernet' in 2018, failed to deliver on crowdfunding promises ($697k raised but receivers never shipped), and pivoted to using existing geostationary satellites rather than launching its own constellation. The ambitious 'free Wi-Fi to the entire world' vision never happened.
MDIF, a New York based non-profit organisation, is planning to beam free Wi-Fi to the entire world from space.
The Satellite Internet Dream That Never Launched
In 2014, headlines blazed with an incredible promise: free internet for everyone on Earth, beamed down from space. The Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF), a New York-based non-profit, announced Outernet—a constellation of hundreds of tiny satellites that would blanket the planet with free Wi-Fi. No subscription fees, no infrastructure needed, just point your phone at the sky and connect.
It sounded like science fiction. And in many ways, it was.
The Ambitious Vision
Outernet's pitch was compelling. With only 40% of the world having internet access at the time, MDIF's Director of Innovation Syed Karim proposed launching hundreds of miniature cubesats into low Earth orbit. These satellites would broadcast selected internet content—news, educational materials, videos—to any Wi-Fi-enabled device, anywhere on the planet, completely free.
The timeline was aggressive: prototype satellites by June 2014, testing on the International Space Station by September, and hundreds of satellites operational by June 2015. For people in remote villages, oppressive regimes, or disaster zones, it promised to be revolutionary.
Reality Hits Hard
Those hundreds of satellites? Never launched. The International Space Station tests? Didn't happen. By 2015, instead of deploying their satellite constellation, Outernet launched an IndieGogo crowdfunding campaign that raised $697,552 to build a receiver device called the Lantern. The Lanterns were never delivered to backers.
In 2018, the project quietly rebranded to "Othernet" due to trademark issues. But the new name couldn't fix the fundamental problems. Instead of the promised constellation of cubesats providing global coverage, the service pivoted to using conventional geostationary satellites—the same technology that already existed.
What Went Wrong?
- Technical complexity: Launching and maintaining hundreds of satellites requires massive capital and expertise
- Regulatory hurdles: Getting approval to broadcast globally proved enormously complicated
- Economic reality: "Free" services still need funding, and the business model was never clear
- Over-promise, under-deliver: The gap between vision and execution was enormous
The Lesson
Outernet joins a long list of ambitious tech projects that promised to change the world but collapsed under the weight of their own hype. While companies like SpaceX's Starlink have since proven that satellite internet can work, it requires billions in investment and certainly isn't free.
The dream of universal free internet access remains just that—a dream. Though to be fair, it's a dream that keeps inspiring new attempts, each one learning from the failures of projects like Outernet.