Here are 5 broadband startups making waves around the globe

The digital divide is a global problem. NCTA – the Internet & Television Association released last week a documentary called “Every Last Mile,” which aims to illustrate the challenges ISPs face in building broadband in rural America, but we went a step further. We looked at which broadband and telecommunications startups are tackling connectivity on a global scale.

• Althea:  Althea, launched in 2017, is a decentralized internet service that essentially lets consumers customize the network’s speed and how much they want to pay. The Althea platform is being used across 13 U.S. states and four countries, including Ghana.
• Astranis: Astranis, founded in 2015, operates geostationary (GEO) communications satellites, and it’s working with internet service providers across the globe to connect remote locations.
• CSquared: Africa’s broadband infrastructure scene is growing thanks to CSquared Group, which first launched as a project within Google back in 2011. Its mission? To build open access fiber networks across the continent.
• Transcelestial: Singapore-based Transcelestial has a futuristic-sounding approach to broadband. It’s created a device called CENTAURI that delivers high-speed internet via laser beam—foregoing the need to install fiber cables or license spectrum.
• QTI: Founded in 2020, QTI’s core product is Quell-X, which is a QKD system that generates quantum-secured keys. This allows the network operator to identify any unwanted eavesdroppers on the communications link.