Dear Team,
The Internet as we know it today is no more than 20 years old, but it has already changed how we relate in the social, industrial and commercial sectors, as well as in general in the world. However, according to a report from the International Telecommunications Unit, a UN organisation, more than fifty per cent (52%) of the world's population still does not have access to the Internet. This so-called digital divide further separates rich and poor countries. There are many studies that indicate that a country's sustainability and its development opportunities are closely related to information and communication technologies (ICTs), since it is these that enable information, knowledge, education, healthcare and commercial transactions, among many other things, to be transferred and accessed. UNESCO itself made the Internet one of its priority areas of work by creating the "Broadband Commission". At its last meeting an ambitious goal was set: what has been called "global connectivity" should be in place by 2030.
There are many social and political changes that have to come together to achieve this milestone, but the foundations are inevitably and fundamentally technological. Technologies related to electronics, photonics, microelectronics, aeronautics and space, to name just a few, must be coordinated to generate the necessary structure to achieve this goal. Companies such as Google, Facebook, SpaceX, Amazon, Qualcomm, and many others have opted to develop space and aeronautical platforms that use technologies based on semiconductors and latest generation microelectronic devices. With this they aim to ensure the provision of broadband Internet access to practically all of the world's population at affordable prices. This has resulted in the so-called "New Space" which is simply the logical evolution of the space industry as we know it today, into an industry much closer to the end user and their needs. This situation is generating a huge number of opportunities for all those industrial stakeholders who are willing to innovate and put new solutions on the market that meet the existing demand. The change is evident in many facets of the industry, such as the type and size of satellites, which tend to be much smaller thanks to the evolution of microelectronics technology, and their orbits, which are increasingly GEO, with a few satellites in LEO orbit, forming large constellations that cover the entire planet. The platforms from which Internet access is provided will also change, both using drones and aerostatic balloons in stratospheric flights as relays between two points on the earth's surface, or using satellites.
Our group, ALTER TECHNOLOGY, has recognised the challenges and opportunities that exist in this new technological and industrial era, and that is why we are participating in many projects that have a direct relationship with this evolution and revolution in the industry, both in the area of semiconductors, quantum communications, pico satellites, drones, etc. We also want to continue to develop our business model to meet the needs of a fast changing market that demands greater efficiency and above all increased added value. We partner with our clients and suppliers to help them achieve success because this will also be our success. We innovate in technology with projects related to photonics and quantum communications, new testing schemes for small satellites, drones and their applications and regulation, new technologies in semiconductors etc. We innovate in our business model by developing platforms on the internet such as DOEEET, based on Big Data technologies. We have proposed and are developing a pilot project (to be followed by another that is more ambitious) to give our clients remote access to the tests that we perform for them, enabling them to access relevant data in real-time for faster and better decision-making.
In summary, our group continues to innovate and develop our service so that our clients and suppliers can continue to rely on us and to ensure we remain a benchmark in this new scenario that is so full of opportunities.
Thanks to everyone for being part of this project.
Luis Gómez
CEO