technology accelerating globalisation

When was the photo of Earth from Apollo 8 taken?

1968

What was the effect of the telegraph in the 1860s?

Replaced week-long voyages of a flow of information with an instantaneous communication via telegraph cables

• Communication could be instantaneous instead taking days to months

When was broadband internet introduced?

1980s

Who owns fibre optic cables?

TNCs like google, and national governments

What is moved through cyberspace via fibre optics?

Large quantities of data

What is the economic benefit of fibre optics for communication?

Reduces cost for communication - easy and instantaneous

How much of the undersea cables are there?

1.2 million kilometers

When were the first fibre optic cables laid?

1988

When was the first GPS system released?

1970s

What is the main purpose of GPS?

Constantly broadcast position and time data to users, for deliveries and other tracking systems

• Helping global production networks to be managed

How many GPS satellites are there?

40, 10,000km above the Earth

How many people used the internet in 2020?

58% of world’s population

How many tweets were being sent out per day in 2020?

500 million

What is the mobile phone revolution?

Where mobile phones have become more widespread, improving connectivity and capabilities for things like electronic banking

How much did the ownership of mobile phones increase in Africa from 2005-2019?

6-60% (tenfold increase)

What is the current percentage of African people who own a mobile phone?

84%

What low-cost service helped facilitate the mobile phone revolution?

Low-cost providers for data like Kenya’s Safaricom

How much of the world’s internet traffic is handled by fibre optic cables?

95%