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Starlink is now Accepting General Pre-orders

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Re: Starlink is now Accepting General Pre-orders

#391

Post by bryanlarsen »

cmason wrote: post #299
walrus01 wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

theoretically, great, and I would be shocked if they did not release a product functionally equivalent to the iridium and inmarsat aviation and maritime terminals, because of how much potential revenue is there. it will also be much better and faster than a multi-axis motorized tracking geostationary maritime terminal ($40,000+ things you can find in radomes on large ships, operating in various ku and ka band network…

Can anyone comment on how much motion the current terminal will tolerate? I’m wondering about a boat at anchor.

The service has been demonstrated on fighter jets so a boat at anchor should be no problem. Of course the $500 antenna they currently sell probably isn't quite as capable as the one they used on that fighter jet...

Re: Starlink is now Accepting General Pre-orders

#392

Post by fooqux »

richrichardsson wrote: post #326
herpderperator wrote: post #280

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my experience, if you enter the desired service address it is the very next thing that's displayed.

Ah, that explains it, the button says "Order Now", which scared me off as I wasn't interested in actually ordering but was curious about the price. I really dislike this kind of (almost dark) pattern. TIDAL also is not showing you the cost until you start down the sign up process, it's quite frustrating if what you really want to do is compare service costs.

Since they use regional pricing, doesn't it make sense that it would require a service address before they can show you the price?

Besides, it's not like if you click that Order Now button that it instantly places an order and a SpaceX kit drops from space in your front yard seconds later. There's a few more steps before that happens, like payment info.

Re: Starlink is now Accepting General Pre-orders

#393

Post by nyolfen »

ankurpatel wrote: post #390

This is just hype created as part of SpaceX and marketing it as sci-fi tech. Satellite internet has been there for a long time. They are unreliable in bad weather and best for rural areas where there is no internet connection or slow option. For $99/month it is very expensive https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_Internet_access#Inte...

not with https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/starl...

Re: Starlink is now Accepting General Pre-orders

#394

Post by _ph_ »

cody3222 wrote: post #387

Could this theoretically put an end to China's firewall?

Most likely not. At minimum China will require the local regulations to be observed if SpaceX wants to sell Starlink services to Chinese citizens. Also, currently ground-based stations are required so the filtering could be implemented there.

Re: Starlink is now Accepting General Pre-orders

#395

Post by GOONIMMUNE »

cody3222 wrote: post #387

Could this theoretically put an end to China's firewall?

I don't think so. Either Musk will change Starlink to comply with the great firewall (giving starlink access to a market of over a billion people), or China will ban Starlink terminals (which would be sort of like the current situation- Chinese citizens can get around the firewall with a VPN, but doing so is illegal)

Re: Starlink is now Accepting General Pre-orders

#396

Post by ankurpatel »

nyolfen wrote: post #393
ankurpatel wrote: post #390

This is just hype created as part of SpaceX and marketing it as sci-fi tech. Satellite internet has been there for a long time. They are unreliable in bad weather and best for rural areas where there is no internet connection or slow option. For $99/month it is very expensive https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_Internet_access#Inte...

not with https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/starl...

Only time will tell.

Re: Starlink is now Accepting General Pre-orders

#397

Post by fooqux »

martin8412 wrote: post #324
unionpivo wrote: post #257

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yes, if you look globally. Just usa ? Not sure. But i think that they would have to become ISP and comply with local law with most jurisdictions if they want to have local ground stations. Not sure how that will go.

Who do you imagine will buy it on a global scale? Rural NA areas, rural Australian areas and a few places in Europe. At the price point offered it is insanely expensive unless your only other option is satelite or a very crappy DSL. Maybe a few people in Asia, Africa, South America can afford it, but it is very few, and in the places where people can they are likely to already have better service.

I can't speak for globally, but a quick search online says that around 43 million people in the USA don't have broadband. "Broadband" meaning 25/3 service. I'm willing to bet the true numbers are significantly higher than that, and I don't really count severely data-capped wireless service as being broadband like the FCC does.

Anyway, even that number alone is a sizable market, and even Comcast would be happy with a fraction of it. I know some parts of the world are better off than the USA, but I also know many parts are worse off.

Re: Starlink is now Accepting General Pre-orders

#398

Post by willis936 »

RapidFire wrote: post #336
whylo wrote: post #316

Interesting snippet from the terms of service: > For Services provided on Mars, or in transit to Mars via Starship or other spacecraft, the parties recognize Mars as a free planet and that no Earth-based government has authority or sovereignty over Martian activities. Accordingly, Disputes will be settled through self-governing principles, established in good faith, at the time of Martian settlement.

History tells us it is far better to let Martians govern themselves. The colonies would eventually rebel regardless; might as well embrace it and let them dictate their own laws. That being said. Guns on mars! GUNS ON MARS!!! They have a rIGHt to hunt space deer!

Does history have any footnotes about self sufficiency?

Re: Starlink is now Accepting General Pre-orders

#399

Post by Geee »

treelovinhippie wrote: post #157
walrus01 wrote: post #40

I have been using a starlink beta terminal for 3 months now, ask me whatever you want. Day job is senior network engineer for a regional-sized (4 US states) fiber based ISP. My most important message to everyone reading this is that it's not intended to compete with properly implemented wireline based services. It's going to absolutely blow away consumer-grade highly oversubscribed, bottom of the barrel ku and ka ban…

I'm interested in mounting it laying flat (no stand) to the top of a van. I don't expect it to work while on the move. But do you think it would still work in a fixed configuration like that? And how much do you think tree coverage would affect service?

It should work while on the move. It has a beam steering capable antenna array. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1316255322835759105

Re: Starlink is now Accepting General Pre-orders

#400

Post by bryanlarsen »

pascalmahe wrote: post #275

I've heard that this will be a disaster for amateur astronomy. Yet Starlink is claiming that their mitigation techniques will avoid the problem [0]. I can't tell if their claim is sound. Can someone with expertise weigh in? 0: https://www.spacex.com/updates/starlink-update-04-28-2020/in...

Both can be true. The original Starlink satellites were horrible for astronomy. Astronomers complained and Starlink implemented some fairly effective mitigation measures like a shade and less reflective routes while orbit raising.
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