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Elon Musk tweets using SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet

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Re: Elon Musk tweets using SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet

#71

Post by jupp0r »

ctdonath wrote: post #68
mrtksn wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do the satellites know the precise location of the client? Wouldn't it possible to buy a subscription in one country and go use it in another country?

Starlink animations depict each sat servicing a narrow cone below. Remember, these operate much closer to the ground than geosynchronous; they'll have a much better idea where the client is than just which hemisphere.

Radio wave propagation is a little more complicated than what the animations depict. It would probably be easy to pretend to be somewhere else by pointing a more directional antenna at the horizon.

Re: Elon Musk tweets using SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet

#72

Post by ctdonath »

Tangential followup:

Recently there was a flap about a satellite having to move out of a Starlink sat's way because the latter wouldn't.

On the Starlink website they call out the automated collision avoidance system. Seems the Starlink sat would have moved away automatically if there was a risk.

Re: Elon Musk tweets using SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet

#73

Post by windsurfer »

jobseeker990 wrote: post #57
windsurfer wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Distance is still a huge problem. The Starlink signal still needs to travel up to the satellites 500 KM up, and then another 500 KM back down. That should be around 2 ms (thanks user jobseeker990, corrected from previous 15ms) of added latency, so anything that is already below 4 ms of latency probably wouldn't be improved.

I think your math is way off. I'm getting less than 2 ms to go 500 km.

You're right, thanks. I was off by an order of magnitude. I've updated my comment

Re: Elon Musk tweets using SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet

#74

Post by windsurfer »

alextingle wrote: post #55
windsurfer wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Distance is still a huge problem. The Starlink signal still needs to travel up to the satellites 500 KM up, and then another 500 KM back down. That should be around 2 ms (thanks user jobseeker990, corrected from previous 15ms) of added latency, so anything that is already below 4 ms of latency probably wouldn't be improved.

Light travels 1000km in under 4ms. What else are you adding to that time?

I have updated my comment above. I was off by about an order of magnitude.

Re: Elon Musk tweets using SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet

#77

Post by ohitsdom »

mrtksn wrote: post #54
Tuna-Fish wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. Starlink will follow all local laws, including licensing the bandwidth they are using. They are not going to run a pirate internet network. Due to complications in US laws, this actually means that Starlink cannot directly offer service in much of the world, instead having to let a local company resell access. (Because SpaceX as a US company cannot do certain kinds of filtering without running afoul of US laws.)

How do the satellites know the precise location of the client? Wouldn't it possible to buy a subscription in one country and go use it in another country?

Since these satellites are in low earth orbit, the satellites currently overhead will be changing very frequently. It's possible the satellites will actually not transmit at all over certain countries. The receivers will also know their location based on what's currently overhead.

This is all technical assumptions at this point since the service isn't rolled out, but being in LEO instead of GEO simplifies things greatly.

Re: Elon Musk tweets using SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet

#78

Post by tpmx »

woah wrote: post #62
tpmx wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A high bandwidth dynamically directed laser-based mesh network of 12k-42k tiny satellites 340 km above the earth is a pretty ballsy concept to begin with. I'm curious about who came up with this idea. It's kind of brilliant.

It follows pretty logically from any kind of work in the wireless business. There’s a very direct correlation between transmitter altitude, and how likely it is that the transmitter will be able to connect to any given client. It follows that the best transmitter is one that is in space, which is why communications were one of the first commercial uses of satellites.

That's a way too simplified view that doesn't take latency into consideration. Or even the concept of a network.

Re: Elon Musk tweets using SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet

#79

Post by sschueller »

sebringj wrote: post #66

This is an amazing time to be alive. Starlink opens up bandwidth potential and global service reliability to bring completely new business models and capabilities. There is no more edge for trading on fiber under the ocean wires either (It seems so to me at least).

For us non-Americans this is not that great. How would you feel if China or Russia launched such a system? Or even Germany?
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