SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is hoping to spread web connectivity through satellites. The company is aiming to launch satellites to help spread internet access in remote parts of the world, a move that makes it a close competitor in the race to expand web access, with competitors that include Google and Facebook.

The goal among tech companies is to spread internet access to target a larger customer base for expanding services and mobile devices. According to the International Telecommunications Union, roughly 40 percent of the global population used the internet in 2013. Locations with the most users included Europe, Canada and the U.S., with Africa and South America having less internet connectivity.

Musk’s satellite fleet contains nearly 700 satellites, each of which weighs roughly half the size of the smallest private sector communication satellites that are presently in orbit. The Wall Street Journal reports that the company wants the devices to be more affordable than previous efforts to broadcast signals to Earth.

The estimated price for the project is close to $1 billion. According to the Journal, Musk is working with Greg Wyler, WorldVu Satellites Ltd. founder. Wyler’s company has radio wave spectrum and satellite design expertise to make the project possible.

In 2013, Google announced Project Loon, which works to beam network signals from high-altitude balloons in an effort to provide internet connections to remote areas.

Harold Feld, wireless analyst and senior vice president at Public Knowledge, a consumer advocacy group, said in a statement, “People learn from the mistakes of the past. Some of these things may become more practical in the next couple of years.”

According to Internet World Stats, Asia had 45.1 percent of internet users in the world, followed by 20.2 percent for Europe and 10.7 percent for North America. Oceania and Australia had just 0.9 percent, while the Middle East had 3.7 percent and Africa had 8.6 percent.