SpaceX gets StarLink Approval for Satellite Broadband

[Allycat]

SpaceX Gets FCC Approval to build a Broadband constellation of more than 2000 satellites.

Like everything Elon Does this will be a big game changer for worldwide internet connectivity.

Just one provider anywhere on earth. 

 

And the fact that 50% of these satellites have to be launched within 6 years means this is going to be up sooner rather than later. 

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/29/fcc-authorizes-elon-musks-spacex-to-provide-broadband-satellite-services.html

EDIT: More Links and reactions.
 

https://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2018/db0329/DOC-349998A1.pdf

https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/29/17178126/spacex-satellite-broadband-internet-fcc-approval-license-starlink-spectrum

https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/29/fcc-approves-spacex-plan-for-4425-satellite-broadband-network/

 

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-spacex-fcc-broadband-20180329-story.html

[QuantumBit]

So this means Elon gets to make an IPS? woo

[keskparane]

It's just a pity about the ping times. Satellite is good for streaming, ok for browsing, but sucks when it comes to anything with much interaction.

[brwainer]

1 hour ago, keskparane said:

It's just a pity about the ping times. Satellite is good for streaming, ok for browsing, but sucks when it comes to anything with much interaction.

The reason why ping times for normal satellite are so long is that normal satellite internet is done out at geostationary orbit - 35,786 km (22,236 mi) above mean sea level. Starlink will be very different. Instead of the satellites "staying in one stop in the sky" (geostationary) they will all be much lower and constantly moving - 1,100 kilometers (680 mi). A particular satellite might be above the horizon for a individual place for dozens of minutes, but you'll always have multiple above the horizon, and the system is designed to hop your connection from node to node automatically (like roaming from cell tower to cell tower while doing a phone call). Because the satellites are much lower, latency will be much better than conventional satellite. The relative roundtrip time from a node, to space, back to the ground will be basically the same as going across half of the USA (680*2=1360, 2680/1360=1.97). That is a very usable latency for most things other than twitch shooters.

 

EDIT: The claim for this is 25-35ms roundtrip latency, vs 600ms for normal satellite internet

[keskparane]

13 minutes ago, brwainer said:

The reason why ping times for normal satellite are so long is that normal satellite internet is done out at geostationary orbit - 35,786 km (22,236 mi) above mean sea level. Starlink will be very different. Instead of the satellites "staying in one stop in the sky" (geostationary) they will all be much lower and constantly moving - 1,100 kilometers (680 mi). A particular satellite might be above the horizon for a individual place for dozens of minutes, but you'll always have multiple above the horizon, and the system is designed to hop your connection from node to node automatically (like roaming from cell tower to cell tower while doing a phone call). Because the satellites are much lower, latency will be much better than conventional satellite. The relative roundtrip time from a node, to space, back to the ground will be basically the same as going across half of the USA (680*2=1360, 2680/1360=1.97). That is a very usable latency for most things other than twitch shooters.

 

EDIT: The claim for this is 25-35ms roundtrip latency, vs 600ms for normal satellite internet

Oh wow. That's significantly different. So then I would guess you would need a tracking dish, and the satellites would have to have crossover points?

[Allycat]

4 minutes ago, keskparane said:

Oh wow. That's significantly different. So then I would guess you would need a tracking dish, and the satellites would have to have crossover points?

No, it will work like you Mobile phone when moving between cells. It will require a transmitter and receiver and that's it. Think of it like a way more powerful WiFi Box.

[Hiitchy]

This sounds promising. Reminds me of when parts of the US or the Caribbean lost connection to the internet and a company (can’t remember the name) sent floating access points to the area for people to connect and make phone calls to relatives.

[Cole5]

Oh gods yes, 6 years and we all get free porn 24/7

[mr moose]

I wonder what Elon's definition of "affordable" is?   The idea of not needing to take a satellite phone when camping sounds good.

[Cole5]

8 minutes ago, mr moose said:

I wonder what Elon's definition of "affordable" is?   The idea of not needing to take a satellite phone when camping sounds good.

WOuldnt it technically still be a satellite phone?

[8uhbbhu8]

OMG this is amazing!!! Now I wonder what kind of tech they will be using in them and what hardware you will need to recieve the signals. Especially interested in mobile opportunities. Back to the days of laptops with wwan modems in them would be amazing for anyone who travels all the time.

[mr moose]

1 minute ago, Cole5 said:

WOuldnt it technically still be a satellite phone?

yes, but if it was a thing that was affordable to have all the time (unlike a satellite phone service) then it would be something that I would't have to ford out for for a few weeks a year and would have the benefits of it all year round.

[Trik'Stari]

I really hope it has a minimum connection of 25/25Mbps and costs less than $100 a month.

 

Just to make my ISP look like a bunch of f**king morons. Right now I get 10/1Mbps and it's about $100 a month. Which is ridiculous when they ran fiber through the area about 2 years ago, promised us higher speeds, but never hooked it up so it's not available.

 

I know they put the fiber in the ground. I saw the trucks working for months.