Microsoft's former boss and current Gates Foundation head Bill Gates recently recently sat down in an interview where he criticized Google's internet connectivity project for developing nations.
During the interview, Brad Stone , Bloomberg Businessweek editor, asked Gates his thoughts on Google's plans on bringing internet connectivity to less-develop nations via broadband transmitters installed on balloons .
Bill had less than nice things to say about Google's project.
When you’re dying of malaria, I suppose you’ll look up and see that balloon, and I’m not sure how it’ll help you. When a kid gets diarrhea, no, there’s no website that relieves that. Certainly I’m a huge believer in the digital revolution. And connecting up primary-health-care centers, connecting up schools, those are good things. But no, those are not, for the really low-income countries, unless you directly say we’re going to do something about malaria.
Google started out saying they were going to do a broad set of things. They hired Larry Brilliant, and they got fantastic publicity. And then they shut it all down. Now they’re just doing their core thing. Fine. But the actors who just do their core thing are not going to uplift the poor.
Ouch.
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