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SpaceX plans worldwide satellite Internet with low latency, gigabit speed

arstechnica.com

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Re: SpaceX plans worldwide satellite Internet with low latency, gigabit speed

#311

Post by mrep »

Something1234 wrote: post #304
noahdesu wrote: post #302

Perhaps the next step will be selling cloud services from in-orbit data centers that have no cooling bill.

Although the temperature in space is very low, the ability to dissipate heat is reduced. So you wouldn't be saving that much, unless my understanding is wrong.

Correct, 2 major costs for data centers are energy and heat dissipation, neither of which are easy in space. Add in the cost of shipping all that stuff up there by rockets, trying to replace broken hardware, etc, etc, and this is more un-economical than solar paneled roads.

Re: SpaceX plans worldwide satellite Internet with low latency, gigabit speed

#312

Post by kakarot »

cookiecaper wrote: post #257
manachar wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Spreading true (well, at least less wrong) information is a noble goal. Unfortunately, I'm not sure we're not seeing such information availability providing avenues towards a smarter, more progressive planet. Instead, the internet seems to be helping people create cocoons of ignorance and "evidence" to support even the most specious claims - such as the world being flat. Knowledge does not seem to be enough. Wisdom a…

I agree with you -- but I want to point out another way that widespread internet access is insufficient. We need to update our laws to allow true information democratization. Right now, under dominant legal systems, information is far too easy for companies to box off and "own", even when they don't own it (extensive discussion about this earlier today on the thread about Google locking out people who resold their Pi…

Ok... where do we start?

Re: SpaceX plans worldwide satellite Internet with low latency, gigabit speed

#313

Post by Something1234 »

metafunctor wrote: post #308
Something1234 wrote: post #304

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Although the temperature in space is very low, the ability to dissipate heat is reduced. So you wouldn't be saving that much, unless my understanding is wrong.

I think the heat would be just radiated out passively. Most space hardware, I'm told, needs to operate at -10°C – 50°C, and withstand continuous temperature fluctuations between those extremes caused by solar heat.

I thought that space would have a low thermal conductivity, meaning that things with a high tdp (big iron) would just hold the heat, and not much would transfer. As I remember from high school physics, radiation is the least efficient form of heat transfer.

Re: SpaceX plans worldwide satellite Internet with low latency, gigabit speed

#314

Post by metafunctor »

lvs wrote: post #190
icehawk219 wrote: post #152

Something I find interesting about this: what does it mean for countries who monitor and filter/block content (think China)? Presumably since this isn't using their national infrastructure they would lose all control of it, no? I wonder how those countries would respond to SpaceX wanting to let their citizens use the service. Unless I'm missing something it seems to me like they wouldn't really be able to stop it.

They can always jam whatever bands it operates on. They can make it illegal to tx/rx in those bands.

I'm imagining a super narrow directional beam pointed at the satellites. You cannot jam that, and even detecting it would mean you need to be really close.

It can still be made illegal, of course.

Re: SpaceX plans worldwide satellite Internet with low latency, gigabit speed

#315

Post by pmontra »

metafunctor wrote: post #305
noahdesu wrote: post #302

Perhaps the next step will be selling cloud services from in-orbit data centers that have no cooling bill.

I wonder which country's laws an in-orbit data center would need to respect. All? None?

The ones of the owner's country?

Re: SpaceX plans worldwide satellite Internet with low latency, gigabit speed

#316

Post by irrational »

imw wrote: post #267
adnzzzzZ wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Breitbart is far from a fringe community. Just because you didn't see it growing dramatically over the past few years it doesn't mean they have a small audience.

Just because they're numerous doesn't mean they're not a lunatic fringe.

It depends on how you define fringe. If you define it as something small on the edge of something much larger then being numerous would seem to preclude their being fringe. But if you define it as something extreme in relation to something else than it probably does qualify as fringe. Though it would help if you clarify how it is extreme in relation to something else (Seriously, this would be helpful. I have no time to follow politics and don't know anything beyond the big picture stuff like Trump being the president-elect).

Re: SpaceX plans worldwide satellite Internet with low latency, gigabit speed

#318

Post by Mikeb85 »

manachar wrote: post #128
katzgrau wrote: post #7

Free, global internet access is the next step toward a smarter, more progressive planet. I don't even care about the speed - if the only thing users could access was wikipedia, I'd still personally donate to the project. I cannot emphasize how important democratizing knowledge is to me (and many others).

Spreading true (well, at least less wrong) information is a noble goal. Unfortunately, I'm not sure we're not seeing such information availability providing avenues towards a smarter, more progressive planet. Instead, the internet seems to be helping people create cocoons of ignorance and "evidence" to support even the most specious claims - such as the world being flat. Knowledge does not seem to be enough. Wisdom a…

The flat earth thing is a joke, no? I mean it's gotten pretty elaborate, but it seems as though they're always dropping sarcastic hints here and there...

Re: SpaceX plans worldwide satellite Internet with low latency, gigabit speed

#319

Post by pmontra »

Reason077 wrote: post #181
remir wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Free internet access for Tesla vehicles too, I imagine.

Tesla vehicles already come with free data! Built-in international roaming 4G SIM. Free data for first 4 years.

How much does it cost after then? Is it bring your own SIM?

Re: SpaceX plans worldwide satellite Internet with low latency, gigabit speed

#320

Post by mikeytown2 »

Thinking about this as a model for the Mars internet and I wonder if there should also be powerful optics's on the satellite for live video streaming and weather. Put a reflex lens on a small sensor and you could get something like a 10,000mm equivalent in a fairly small package. With a lot of satellites you would want a very narrow field of view in order to have a high ground resolution. If you can have a utility satellite that does most of what you need (com & pictures) that seems like a win for mars and earth. Live global video stream sounds pretty awesome.
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