In 1996, internet speeds were limited to just 56 kbps—about 17,000 times slower than modern fiber optic connections. Developers were forced to optimize their applications for the constraints of the time, which was an enormous challenge. Early 2000s, the emergence of the first version of ADSL, brought download speeds of up to 8 Mbps and marked a significant transformation. The internet evolved from the text-based, monochromatic visuals of the old BBS to a richer experience with web browsers supporting images, colors, and multimedia content.

The introduction of ADSL2, with speeds up to 12 Mbps, brought further advancements, enabling video streaming and faster downloads. This evolution created the perfect environment for platforms like YouTube to emerge.

These milestones illustrate a fundamental truth: every innovation is limited by the infrastructure that supports it. When you provide faster speeds and greater computing power, people unlock their creativity to build incredible things. If you build a reusable rocket that’s fast, affordable, and capable of carrying a large payload, you make a multiplanetary civilization possible.

Today, we have much more technology available than most developers can access, often constrained by prohibitive costs. These costs are simply a result of the greed of major cloud providers who aren’t satisfied with an “optimal” margin—they demand margins that are "disproportionately absurd."

For true progress, technology must be accessible. The ability to reach Mars, for instance, means little if it costs $1 trillion. Similarly, developers shouldn’t have to focus on optimizing costs; instead, they should harness technology to unlock their full creative potential—at a cost that makes sense.

At Latitude.sh, our mission has always been to empower developers by removing infrastructure limitations.

Today, over $20 billion in assets are secured by validators running on Latitude.sh for the Solana blockchain. When we began working with Solana, I realized it was the ideal proving ground. Solana pushes the limits of computing and bandwidth requirements. I thought, If we can succeed here, imagine what other technologies and use cases could thrive with a platform offering extreme computational power, low latency, and cost efficiency.

Increase Bandwidth, Reduce Latency has become Solana’s mantra, and it’s a vision I deeply share and champion. Our goal is to deliver exactly that: more bandwidth, less latency, enabling developers to push the boundaries of their creativity.

One question I’m often asked is, “How can you offer lower egress fees compared to AWS, which operates at such a massive scale?” It’s a valid question—and the answer is surprising. Our margins are healthy and sustainable, which makes you wonder: just how high are AWS’s margins? Imagine how much more developers could achieve if they didn’t have to worry about exorbitant costs or spend countless hours optimizing their applications to reduce expenses like egress fees.

But here’s the thing: low costs mean nothing if your infrastructure is limited—if you’re stuck with high latency, outdated processors, or capped speeds. On the flip side, advanced, scalable, and unrestricted infrastructure is of little value if it’s prohibitively expensive. You need both: cutting-edge technology at accessible prices.

What we aim to achieve at Latitude.sh is similar to a rocket to Mars: a scalable solution that unlocks creativity, pushes boundaries, and enables transformative progress—without a prohibitive cost.