The Future with Hannah Fry · Series 2 · Episode 6
The Future with Hannah Fry, The Next Billion: what the evidence says about getting the next billion people online
What the episode covers, where getting the next billion people online stands on the 311 Starburst and what leaders should take from it.
What it covers
About the episode
The episode looks at what happens to the internet as the next billion people come online, and how they will connect.
- Broadcaster
- Bloomberg Originals; BBC Two and BBC iPlayer (UK, 2026)
- Made by
- Bloomberg Media with Windfall Films
- Distributed by
- TVF International
- Episode
- Series 2, episode 6
Official episode page (Bloomberg Originals; BBC Two and BBC iPlayer (UK, 2026)) · More about the series
What the evidence says
Where getting the next billion people online stands in 2026
The 311 Starburst maps when each emerging technology and trend is expected to reach wide use. These are the entries that match this subject, with their status today.
- Technology · ConnectivityLow Earth Orbit Platforms
Satellite systems that orbit fairly close to Earth, from a few hundred to about 2,000 kilometres up. Being close means faster internet links than satellites that are much higher.
- Expected wide use
- 2030
- Status in 2026
- Prepare
- Readiness
- TRL 9 of 9
- Technology · ConnectivityDirect-to-Phone Satellite Connectivity
Satellites that connect normal smartphones directly, with no dish or special gadget. They follow mobile phone rules, so coverage can reach places with no masts.
- Expected wide use
- 2030
- Status in 2026
- Prepare
- Readiness
- TRL 8 of 9
- Technology · Connectivity5G
5G is the fifth generation of mobile networks. It is faster than 4G, reacts more quickly and can connect far more devices at the same time.
- Expected wide use
- 2030
- Status in 2026
- Prepare
- Readiness
- TRL 9 of 9
- Trend · CommunicationsSatellite Internet
- Expected wide use
- 2030
- Status in 2026
- Prepare
- Trend · SocietalDigital Divide
- Expected wide use
- 2010
- Status in 2026
- Act now
Source: the 311 Starburst, researched by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit (data built 2026-10-28). Status rings: Act now means wide use by 2027, Prepare 2028 to 2030, Explore 2031 to 2035, Watch 2036 or later. Explore the Starburst Centre.
311 analysis
What leaders should take from it
- The next billion users will arrive mobile first and often by satellite; design products for them, not for the last billion.
- Satellite internet changes where you can operate, sell and hire; revisit the markets you ruled out.
- Closing the digital divide is a growth market as well as a social goal.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
Next steps
Take this subject to your leadership team
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Answers
Common questions
How will the next billion people get online?
Mostly by mobile, and increasingly by satellite. The 311 Starburst places satellite internet and direct-to-phone satellite connectivity in its Prepare ring, both with expected wide use in 2030.
More episodes
Other episodes of The Future with Hannah Fry
Read more: State of global ICT infrastructure