This month we're reading about the state of artificial intelligence, connectivity in North Korea, content providers' submarine cables, and the curious new way Amazon Web Services will be charging customers. (A TeleGeography lineup if I've ever seen one.)
We've got all the stories linked below. Have at it.
How To Stop Worrying And Love The Great AI War Of 2018
Why it’s worth your time: If you've got time for a long read, let me recommend this piece from Fast Company, which neatly summarizes the tech landscape and the state of artificial intelligence. This is a good post to get yourself up to speed on the companies, personalities, and big data goals driving AI.
North and South: Contrasts in Korea
Why it’s worth your time: What is internet access like in North Korea, anyway? This month Pete Bell compares connectivity in North and South Korea, examining wireless and broadband access in each country. (This includes an introduction to a few of the North Korean websites available outside of the country.)
Russia Provides New Internet Connection to North Korea
Why it’s worth your time: Speaking of North Korea, a Russian telecommunications company has supposedly provided their East Asian neighbor with a new link to the internet. According to this piece by 38 North, "the connection, from TransTeleCom, began appearing in internet routing databases at 09:08 UTC on Sunday [October 1]."
Tech Giants are Building Their own Undersea Fiber-optic Networks
Why it’s worth your time: If you're a frequent TeleGeography blog reader, then you know that content providers have been investing in submarine cables. This latest piece in the Economist covers the completion of the MAREA cable in the context of content providers' growing involvement in the infrastructure of the internet.
Amazon Just Made a Huge Change to its $12 Billion Cloud Computing Juggernaut
Why it’s worth your time: Amazon Web Services will soon be charging customers by the second instead of the hour. Seconds! There are some conditions—a one minute minimum, limitations for virtual Microsoft Windows servers—but this article does a good job explaining what's happening, how, and why.