Blimps? Yep! Google It.

In recent years the term “Google it” has become so common and intuitive that sometimes it’s hard to remember that most people in the world have no access to the Internet. We are, what many around the globe would call, privileged. We have our smart phones, computers, tablets and other high-tech gadgets, while the vast majority of people on the planet have trouble finding clean drinking water. But wait, there is a silver lining.Google Inc. is currently making plans to provide universal Web access to developing countries around the world, thereby connecting about a billion people from sub-Saharan Africa to Southeast Asia, and it’s very exciting. Yet some of the largest problems in creating universal Web access stem from the large and vast sums of money needed to build infrastructure, and then dealing with regulations that are often veiled in serious and incomprehensible bureaucracy. Of course, there are also the obstacles presented by geographical terrain.By financing, building and operating wireless networks, Google it tackling the problem at its source, and it's using one of our oldest airborne creations to do it. Enter the blimp. Using blimps to transmit signals over large distances from high altitudes assists in alleviating the presented challenge. More so, the company is trying to convince international regulators to employ airwaves reserved for television broadcasts since they can travel further and pass through concrete objects. If they succeed, the implications are huge.Think about the role the Internet has had on a global scale, especially social media. While it is obvious that information can and does spread much faster when everyone is digitally connected, there is a lot more to be impressed by here – like how much the passing information can change and transform societies.When rebellions were taking place in Egypt, Syria, Greece and even here, the United States (think Occupy Wall Street), regular people took it upon themselves to share the truth about what was happening in places real reporters could not get to. They kept us updated about the events, reported from the ground, and in effect,  operated as catalysts of change.And since we can change the world for the better, we should.Image Sources: Wiki CommonsInfo Source: NY Times, Huffington Post.