If Larry Page's conversation with Charlie Rose at the annual TED conference is any indicator, we've yet to see Google's (GOOG +3.71%) biggest breakthrough. Fool contributor Tim Beyers explains why he wouldn't support such a deal in the following video.
Page specifically spoke out against incrementalism, saying that most companies are selling the sorts of small upgrades to the tech infrastructure that we saw 20, or even 50, years go. "That's not really what we need," Page said. Instead, we need to be thinking about better systems, software, and mechanisms for improving the basics of life. Global connectivity is essential for completing the task, Page intimated -- a view that Facebook (FB +6.49%) chief executive Mark Zuckerberg shares.
Both companies already have initiatives for improving Internet access around the globe. Google is using high-altitude balloons to read 3G to underserved regions. Facebook has its own plan for Internet-serving drones, and is one of the principals of Internet.org. The social network has also promised to keep messaging via WhatsApp as cheap as it ever was -- a boon for those with limited access in other parts of the world. (Only 3 billion of the world's 7 billion people are connected as of this writing, according to United Nations estimates.)
The takeaway for investors, Tim says, is that the grand visions Page and Zuck share are only possible via pervasive, ultra-fast Internet connectivity. Expect both companies to be working feverishly to find ways to substantially expand and improve the wireless Web, unlocking value for investors in the process.
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