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Starlink is now on all seven continents, enabled by its space laser network

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Re: Starlink is now on all seven continents, enabled by its space laser network

#161

Post by Bubble_Pop_22 »

unethical_ban wrote: post #132
Bubble_Pop_22 wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The world's poor are ahead of us in this realm. Lagos will clock 100M people by the end of the century. Megalopolis are only getting bigger. Like luxury EVs , starlink is aimed at the particular preferences of the RV crowd and the yacht crowd. Improving the quality of life of the avg. consumer is never the goal. The goal is to have rich people get excited about some luxury product so that they immediately log on thei…

Luxuries, niche products and novelties today are commonplace tomorrow. Many of those things have benefits to society. I'd say advancing high-speed non-terrestrial Internet is a good goal. I don't see how your comment on megacities aligns with the other comment about enhanced communications. How is Lagos "ahead"?

Megalopolis means an easy win for optical fiber for internet solutions

Satellite internet only makes sense if people are scattered around, but we are seeing the opposite phenomenon both in the developed world as well as the developing world.

Even hipsters are moving from LA to Portland not from LA to some small town with population of 500.

Re: Starlink is now on all seven continents, enabled by its space laser network

#162

Post by ctdonath »

cududa wrote: post #11
hollander wrote: post #5

How about providing free internet to China and Russia, to give the people there proper information without government oversight?

You know both Russia and China are perfectly capable of targeting and destroying satellites, yes?

A few, yes.

Not by the thousands, short of taking ALL satellites out.

Re: Starlink is now on all seven continents, enabled by its space laser network

#163

Post by dylan604 »

AtlasBarfed wrote: post #121
dylan604 wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, they kind of are, right? If the Chinese and Russian people came up with their own gear to receive/send compatible signals with the signal, then they could use it. Of course, authorized accounts would probably be problematic. Getting Starlink branded gear to use will also be hard in those countries.

Um, encryption? What's the end-to-end level of starlink vis-a-vis encryption? I have to imagine it's pretty good.

In Soviet Russia, encryption breaks you!

I'm sure the backdoor master key "everyone" is pushing for would find a practical use in this situation

Re: Starlink is now on all seven continents, enabled by its space laser network

#164

Post by derefr »

gpm wrote: post #67
capableweb wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That makes perfect sense. If the service is not available, it's not available. The reason why doesn't make a difference "how available" it is. Either it is, or it isn't. Seems a bit like false marketing to say "Starlink is now on all seven continents" when it's more like "Starlink has satellites over seven continents but you can only actually use it on five of them"

Eh, it depends on who "you" are. I'm pretty sure the USAF can use them on all seven continents. Meanwhile I, not having a contract, can't use them on any continent.

Do you mean to say that the USAF can use devices that cause arbitrary interference on frequency bands that the country they're operating in hasn't reserved for such uses, and said countries tolerate that?

Those countries' poor radio engineers...

Re: Starlink is now on all seven continents, enabled by its space laser network

#166

Post by SketchySeaBeast »

wcfields wrote: post #29
_Microft wrote: post #2

According to its Wikipedia entry, McMurdo Station had a 20Mbit/s satellite link so far. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMurdo_Station#Communications

I had a buddy [1] that worked in the kitchen at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station for a few seasons in 2012-2014. From what he told me: The internet works at certain times of the day at different bandwidths depending on the satellite. I think at that time there was 3 in orbit, and one of them was a retired Navy sat that had like dial-up speed. Also everything that goes to the station stays there so the vinyl collecti…

I wonder exactly how many copies/versions/editions of The Thing they have.

Re: Starlink is now on all seven continents, enabled by its space laser network

#167

Post by GuB-42 »

dakr wrote: post #77
FeistySkink wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A new ice bucket challenge.

There's a 300 degree club at the south pole. Strip, jump in 200 degF water, then run outside around the building where it's -100 degF.

I think it is one of these cases where everyone agrees that the Fahrenheit scale should be used.

Re: Starlink is now on all seven continents, enabled by its space laser network

#168

Post by cronix »

derefr wrote: post #164
gpm wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Eh, it depends on who "you" are. I'm pretty sure the USAF can use them on all seven continents. Meanwhile I, not having a contract, can't use them on any continent.

Do you mean to say that the USAF can use devices that cause arbitrary interference on frequency bands that the country they're operating in hasn't reserved for such uses, and said countries tolerate that? Those countries' poor radio engineers...

The satellites are already there, like gps satellites are already there. I'm assuming they're transmitting whether or not people on the ground have connection or whether or not the government "approves" it.

Re: Starlink is now on all seven continents, enabled by its space laser network

#169

Post by gpm »

derefr wrote: post #164
gpm wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Eh, it depends on who "you" are. I'm pretty sure the USAF can use them on all seven continents. Meanwhile I, not having a contract, can't use them on any continent.

Do you mean to say that the USAF can use devices that cause arbitrary interference on frequency bands that the country they're operating in hasn't reserved for such uses, and said countries tolerate that? Those countries' poor radio engineers...

Uh, yes. The USAF uses electronic warfare systems that don't just accidentally cause such interference, but do so intentionally. Much like every other major military.

Which isn't to say that they would operate those systems (or starlink) in peacetime without the approval of the host country, just that they can use those systems at any time... While I don't know for a fact that SpaceX has left the decision on where to use starlink up to them, I'm pretty sure that would be the case.

Re: Starlink is now on all seven continents, enabled by its space laser network

#170

Post by ElectricalUnion »

ctdonath wrote: post #162
cududa wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know both Russia and China are perfectly capable of targeting and destroying satellites, yes?

A few, yes. Not by the thousands, short of taking ALL satellites out.

> Not by the thousands, short of taking ALL satellites out.

Kessler syndrome takes care of them all once you generate enough space junk.

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