Starlink Successfully Tests Space Direct to Cell Mobile Service

Post by davidjade » Sat, Jan 13, 2024, 10:44 PM UTC

lxgr wrote: post #112

tuatoru wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where I live PLBs have a lower sticker price than the InReach, only require a one-time payment for life, and they have a ten-year battery life. I don't know about EPIRBs or ELTs. You don't need feedback: Search and Rescue WILL send out a team that makes physical contact with you, even if you only turn the thing on for a couple of minutes. Seen this in action here in NZ. They are trained in tracking, too, so you can't…

Feedback has been shown to be both very important psychologically in a survival situation. Practically it can also be crucial to know whether your signal went through or whether you should trade shelter for altitude (e.g. when hiking in a narrow ravine with limited sky visibility). Two-way communication and being able to specify the nature of your emergency are invaluable as well. PLBs/EPIRBs definitely have their us…

Post by lxgr » Sat, Jan 13, 2024, 10:47 PM UTC

modeless wrote: post #119

lxgr wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that's only technically possible for voice 911 calls. Texting 911 requires you to be attached to a network, which in turn requires a phone plan and potentially a roaming agreement. Changing this would require some deep architectural changes to the 3GPP specs, or just allowing anyone on but filtering out all non-911 texts.

Interesting. I expect that SpaceX will start supporting voice calls with this system in the not too distant future, so maybe that will make it work automatically. Unless the telcos can get their act together before then and change their standards to support text-to-911 without a service agreement.

Post by spacebanana7 » Sat, Jan 13, 2024, 10:53 PM UTC

Beijinger wrote: post #69

berserk1010 wrote: post #11

I wonder if this service will facilitate collapse of censorship in dictatorship countries like China and Russia. Especially if those countries are currently suffering from economic depression like China and Russia, and its citizens are waking up to its harsh realities and are keen to get unfiltered information

"Especially if those countries are currently suffering from economic depression like China and Russia" Dude, I don't know. "Despite the challenges posed by external pressure and earlier negative forecasts, Russia's GDP growth in 2023 is expected to be 3.5%," Most EU countries would be happy about such a growth. Russia has 100 times less debt than the US and an unemployment rate about 2.5% if I remember correctly. I g…

Post by carabiner » Sat, Jan 13, 2024, 11:06 PM UTC

berserk1010 wrote: post #11

I wonder if this service will facilitate collapse of censorship in dictatorship countries like China and Russia. Especially if those countries are currently suffering from economic depression like China and Russia, and its citizens are waking up to its harsh realities and are keen to get unfiltered information

Post by umeshunni » Sat, Jan 13, 2024, 11:09 PM UTC

spacebanana7 wrote: post #125

Beijinger wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Especially if those countries are currently suffering from economic depression like China and Russia" Dude, I don't know. "Despite the challenges posed by external pressure and earlier negative forecasts, Russia's GDP growth in 2023 is expected to be 3.5%," Most EU countries would be happy about such a growth. Russia has 100 times less debt than the US and an unemployment rate about 2.5% if I remember correctly. I g…

As a person who expected a 30-50% decline in Russian GDP when the sanctions were first announced, I’ve been very surprised at how resilient the Russian economy has been. I’d love to read an analysis about why sanctions were so effective at harming the economies of countries like Venezuela & North Korea but so much weaker against Russia.