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Starlink Direct to Cell

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Re: Starlink Direct to Cell

#551

Post by irjustin »

matco11 wrote: post #543
mmaunder wrote: post #283

Vertical integration by Starlink of the cheapest launch capability in the world (by far) is the reason there are no competitors, and there will be no competitors. The pace of innovation at SpaceX is not THE reason - it’s an additional reason that no one has a snowballs chance in hell of ever catching Starlink. I’ve seen talk of competitor satellite networks or a possible competitor emerging. Folks it’s game set and m…

No. They have already allowed Starlink competitors to launch on Space X rockets. There are multiple players working on constellations of low-orbit satellites competing with Starlink

While you're technically correct, the parent is more correct. Competitors have to pay normal launch rates. The competitive service needs to include those costs to end users.

Starlink "pays" for launches at cost. While we don't know what SpaceX's cost margins are, they are not trivial. To setup a low orbit constellation is extremely expensive and competitors lose millions per launch that Starlink gets to reinvest.

There's been 136 launches of Falcon 9 for Starlink. ~US$62m per launch? If their margins are 20% that's that's $1.6b in savings. And I bet F9's margins are closer to 50% - supporting Starship and more.

Re: Starlink Direct to Cell

#553

Post by quailfarmer »

modeless wrote: post #498
la64710 wrote: post #475

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is already available in iPhone with their text based coverage: https://support.apple.com/en-us/120930 Probably they are using GSAT satellites.

Apple's feature is not comparable. It is extremely low bandwidth and requires special hardware and holding the phone pointing in a certain direction. Starlink acts as a regular (albeit low bandwidth) 4G tower in space.

Starlink DTC is also very low bandwidth in this generation, it’s is a fundamentally similar RF link budget

Re: Starlink Direct to Cell

#554

Post by flyinglizard »

griomnib wrote: post #505
mullingitover wrote: post #478

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Safe to say? You sure about that? I’d say it’s just as likely that six months from now there will be a falling out, Musk will be called a pathetic loser, government agencies will be turned against him, etc. If past behavior is any kind of indicator, it’s more likely than not. I would not be surprised if we see Musk doing a perp walk within 12 months.

There can only be one Main Character, and Trump doesn’t share the spotlight with anybody. Elon will fuck up and his money won’t save him from what comes after that.

Elon knows well enough to act as a supporting character. He can't run for presidency anyway given he's not a native, and no other political post would be interesting enough. There'll be no falling out.

Re: Starlink Direct to Cell

#555

Post by hsuduebc2 »

mmaunder wrote: post #283

Vertical integration by Starlink of the cheapest launch capability in the world (by far) is the reason there are no competitors, and there will be no competitors. The pace of innovation at SpaceX is not THE reason - it’s an additional reason that no one has a snowballs chance in hell of ever catching Starlink. I’ve seen talk of competitor satellite networks or a possible competitor emerging. Folks it’s game set and m…

Musk is similar to Henry Ford in that he currently has an advantage due to the innovative nature of his business. However, over time, his ideas will likely be replicated by other businesses or even governments.

I'm not entirely convinced that becoming a strong political figure by aligning with one side is a wise long-term strategy. This election was a loss for the opposition, not just because of their poor communication of achievements but also due to the ordinary cycles of politics. People often place blame on those in power for any problems during their tenure. The pendulum of trust will eventually swing back to the other side. Musk's political aspirations also pose a risk for him, as they could jeopardize his relationships with allies within the currently dominant party.

What I’m suggesting is that monopolies like this often collapse when they become too politically entrenched, threatening the very power structures that initially enabled their rise and powet accumulation.

Re: Starlink Direct to Cell

#556

Post by verzali »

torginus wrote: post #181
harrall wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can’t imagine satellites being able to compete with cell towers in bandwidth or capacity. There are millions of cell towers. During a major event, cellular companies set up portable cell towers (COWs) and even these are not enough. And a cell tower that is right next to you still pales in comparison to a single cable in bandwidth.

Yup. Small cell size is actually a feature for cell phone communications. You have to share bandwidth with everyone in your cell - the smaller the cell, the less crowding. This is a general starlink issue, which is why I don't understand how is it economically or physically viable in crowded areas, such as cities, where the majority of human population lives.

It's not. They don't have the capacity to cover densely populated areas and it will always be cheaper to build out infrastructure on land in those areas than to launch something into space.

Re: Starlink Direct to Cell

#557

Post by verzali »

minetest2048 wrote: post #163
charliebwrites wrote: post #6

I wish I could pay Starlink directly and have global satellite based LTE instead of having to go through a specific carrier and be limited by other carriers’ reciprocity to specific countries and bands One space based cell plan for the whole world

Adding to this: I wish I can just buy a 4G modem for my cubesat and get 24/7 access through Starlink without waiting for my cubesats to be in view of my groundstation...

There's IDRS that does this for satellites.

Re: Starlink Direct to Cell

#558

Post by tucnak »

cj wrote: post #38

> ENGINEERED BY SPACEX It would be very interesting to see some kind of diagram depicting all of the corporate entities Musk is involved in and how each entity does business with one another. xAI just raised billions to help Tesla build out FSD (or at least that was part of the pitch). His empire is divided into so many corporate entities, but they all cross-pollinate and are clearly under his direct control for the…

In the context of OP, the corporate structure of SpaceX et al. is about as far from interesting as it could possibly get. The obsession some posters have with rich people (and Musk in particular) is really unhealthy!

Re: Starlink Direct to Cell

#559

Post by lmm »

71bw wrote: post #526
lmm wrote: post #438

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Musk is at least a named individual, somewhat accountable for his decisions. Yes him having the ability to cut people off is worrying, but I'm less worried about him doing it than e.g. the Internet Watch Foundation, or whoever cut off Kiwi Farms (where we still don't really know who's actually responsible).

>(where we still don't really know who's actually responsible) Keffals and Fong-Jones

Allegedly. Even assuming they were the people who wanted that to happen, we don't know how/why they have the authority and who to vote out if we don't like their decision, whereas Musk is expected to be appointed by the duly elected president who made it clear to the electorate that this was his plan.

Re: Starlink Direct to Cell

#560

Post by vodkapump »

Retric wrote: post #16
charliebwrites wrote: post #6

I wish I could pay Starlink directly and have global satellite based LTE instead of having to go through a specific carrier and be limited by other carriers’ reciprocity to specific countries and bands One space based cell plan for the whole world

It’s not going to work inside buildings, and they would need to charge you a fairly astronomical fee per minute. However, a Starlink mini dish can let you cheaply make calls from basically anywhere with some minor setup.

The inside buildings part would be mostly solved with VoWiFi. At least anywhere with a network you'd be comfortable connecting to.
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