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SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

zdnet.com

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Re: SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

#461

Post by jraby3 »

stevep98 wrote: post #444
kevinkeller wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't understand the huge upside for Starlink outside of Africa or India, where they have India is rapidly expanding fiber internet connectivity, even in rural areas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharat_Broadband_Network In addition, 4G/5G coverage is extensive: https://www.ookla.com/articles/india-mobile-connectivity-1h2... See India in this 5G global coverage map: https://www.ookla.com/articles/5g-map-2026 The…

Global cellular operator revenue is approx $1T. They have put their toe in the water with direct-to-cellular support for starlink, and have bought spectrum to improve this. I'm sure they basically want to offer cellular to everyone in the world and get a good chunk of that $1T. Maybe they want 20% of it? Sounds crazy, but China Mobile, Verizon, and Deutsche Telecom each have 10%. Sounds it's not so wild that they can…

This is the right answer. They are building their own cell phone network to compete with major carriers worldwide.

Re: SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

#462

Post by jraby3 »

runako wrote: post #422

My understanding is that Starlink can only service ~6-7 houses per square mile today. The US is ~95/sq. mile on average. 80% of Americans live in "cities." Anchorage metro is ~15/sq. mile; Yuma, AZ is ~36. The Nashville metro is ~250. Also, Starlink satellites spend ~70% of their time over the ocean. This will impact the utilization ratio of their gear and force them to launch still more satellites.

The new satellites are like 100x better.

Re: SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

#463

Post by laughing_man »

deaton wrote: post #57
usui wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Recently I flew on a long-distance (so at least a dozen hours of flight time) low-budget airline that had 60 Mbps download/12 Mbps upload and it specifically called out SpaceX Starlink for being able to provide this for free. A video call went smoothly. There was connectivity from takeoff to landing with no interruption in between. This was the best airline experience I've had yet.

I flew Delta about 6 months ago and they had something similar, also for free, but they use Viasat. I think most of the big airlines were moving this way anyway to be honest, Starlink just has a good opportunity for advertising.

Long latency makes Viasat good for some things and not so good for others.

Re: SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

#464

Post by mlindner »

clumsysmurf wrote: post #332
jws wrote: post #249

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I may have blown the math, but the last time I calculated I figured there were about 35 Starlink satellites above the horizon at my latitude. Looking into the suburban early night sky I see zero, one, or two satellites with about equal probability. I think the hypothesis this leads to is that the "don't shine" techniques Starlink is using are working. I'm guessing the ones I see are either not Starlink or are Starlin…

I'm in a heavily light polluted city (Phoenix) and even with all the air and light pollution, can still see satellites every moment past 2AM to the east. At least this time of year.

That's simply impossible. You must be seeing something else. They aren't that bright.

Re: SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

#465

Post by shafyy »

potamic wrote: post #406
dietr1ch wrote: post #380

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You'll be sad to know there's another mf trying to put a mirror to reflect sunlight near twilight https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflect_Orbital

Wut? This has to be some sort of a scam. There's no way you're going to be reflecting enough light from hundreds of kilometers away.

I really hope it's a scam, because if not, and this is allowed to exist, we're fucked.

Re: SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

#466

Post by wolvoleo »

cortesoft wrote: post #163
wolvoleo wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Um yeah but the transmission path is longer and the equipment and signal processing on each hop also adds latency. I really doubt it'll make much of a difference.

I doubt the transmission path is longer, fiber optic cables aren't laid in perfectly straight lines between all points.

I mean with satellite it's longer. You have to go up and down, and starlink sats prefer sending data streams back to the ground as soon as they can (because the laser interconnect capacity is limited).

And variable, no less due to the high differential speed of the satellites. And the signal conditioning is much more involved than on the ground.

Re: SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

#467

Post by skor »

consumer451 wrote: post #5

When Starlink first became available here in poor-ish Central-EU, I was excited. Then, only months later, but after years of planning: EU funding brought fiber to my farm area, at ~$25/900mbps 10ms. While my story is just n=1, I don't understand the huge upside for Starlink outside of Africa or India, where they have However, I am dumb, and very open to be convinced.

seems like starlink is useful for armed conflicts

Re: SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

#468

Post by drstewart »

bayindirh wrote: post #436
foxglacier wrote: post #433

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

That’s a very reductionist and dismissive take. Also it’s rude. I’m an occasional astrophotographer, and the baseline of photos you can took are absolutely breathtaking now. Seeing this destroyed in real time is depressing. I used to see a rare flyby of a satellite in the complete dark, but now it’s much more, and besides my personal annoyance, many people much more serious about sky and space are rightfully angry. M…

>Not every progress is good progress

And you're the judge of this based on your likes and hobbies?

Anyway, I agree. Just ask the people blocking the HS2 or CaHSR about how sad the train plowing through their communities makes them feel. We need to tear down all trains, not every progress is good progress

Re: SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

#469

Post by mlindner »

roysting wrote: post #165
spullara wrote: post #108

I think most of this thread is missing the part where this will also work for cellphones and give you truly global coverage.

It also creates a private internet on which “private enterprise” does not have to abide by the Constitution or any subordinate laws. Sure, it’s just “fear mongering” now, just like digital ID, digital currency, mass surveillance, and speech police were 30 or so years ago, but what happens when terrestrial cable internet gets too expensive and everyone’s subject to Elon’s space internet? It’s basically the similar pla…

Do you think Starlink is somehow extraterritorial or something? They're no more or no less a "private internet" than any other ISP. People need to get a reality check. Hacker news is becoming one of the most luddite places on the internet.

Re: SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

#470

Post by pastel8739 »

csallen wrote: post #411
dietr1ch wrote: post #397

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To anyone thinking that 18m² isn't that big for how large the space is, please recall how bright reflective things shine during the day when you hit the right angle.

A gigantic source of light in the sky that lights up a part of the Earth and is too bright to look at is... the sun. I think we're all used to the sun.

I personally am _not_ used to seeing the sun after sunset and before sunrise.
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