This Dutch startup wants to replace cell phone towers with low flying internet satellites

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk once explored the idea to make lighter, cheaper internet satellites, as many as 900 to replace the cell towers.

While Musk and his company launched Microsat-2a and Microsat-2b earlier this year, a Dutch startup Hiber recently obtained a space permit from the Dutch Telecom Agency to launch low flying satellites to deliver internet connectivity.

With offices in the Netherlands and the US, the company plans to launch its first satellite LEO from India in July this year.

Satellites and cell towers

It has been often debated that satellite technology may be the next big thing in providing access to the internet. However, until now satellites are mostly best suited for internet connectivity in rural areas as they transmit the signals over a much wider area. Due to prohibitive costs involved in development, launch, and maintenance of satellites, cell towers will still remain a viable solution in densely populated cities.

Hiber will launch the first satellite in July and the startup will start pilot project testing in August.

The Hiber team

Hiber’s team is a diverse mix of executives from the satellite tech and e-commerce industries. Co-founder and CEO Ernst Peter Hovinga remained Chief Commercial Officer of GE Satcom (now known as Signal Horn). E-commerce industry veterans include co-founder and CMO Laurens Groenendijk who previously co-founded Just-Eat.nl and Treatwell.

The team combines people from satellite technology, electrical engineering, and e-commerce to provide a superior service to end-customers.

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