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Science
To get in line for 1GB StarLink sat service when it's available in your zip code.
2020-06-14
Hit the title to get on the list.

Rural or suburban friends who want giga-bit data service - some estimate at $80/month (who knows?) , can sign up for notification when StarLink service is available in their zip code.

Eventually it should work to RVs, Boats, private airplanes and other like platforms. WiFi in the middle of a national park or on the high seas or in the air would be very nice.

They already have tested to near GB speeds into the cockpits of USAF planes...

Saturday morning they launched another 58 sats so soon they will be close to 1500 sats that would give some service everywhere on the planet. Now its close to 500 sats in orbit and a few less yet to go into service.

I would expect you not to get notified until they have 750 - 850 sats in service.
Posted by:3dc

#15  Knuckles and 3dc, the 6g will be laser down and 5g up.
Posted by: rammer   2020-06-14 23:07  

#14  Thank you for explaining, Knuckles Javimble6283. I feel less ignorant on the subject.
Posted by: trailing wife   2020-06-14 22:35  

#13  See: "Nickelback"
Posted by: Frank G   2020-06-14 18:34  

#12  The C (4-8GHz) Band would be a terrible band name.
Posted by: SteveS   2020-06-14 18:30  

#11  Per the FCC approval for the Starlink space stations, "SpaceX proposes to operate in the 10.7-12.7 GHz, 13.85-14.5 GHz, 17.8-18.6 GHz, 18.8-19.3 GHz, 27.5-29.1 GHz, and 29.5-30 GHz bands."
Posted by: 3dc   2020-06-14 18:29  

#10  Instead of using the Ku band

Instead of using the C (4-8GHz) band
Posted by: Knuckles Javimble6283   2020-06-14 18:01  

#9  Starlink operates in the Ku (12-18GHz) and Ka (27-40Ghz) bands. Ku is what you see w/ DirectTV. Both bands are affected by resonance with water molecules (like your microwave oven). W/o looking at the data, my guess is Ka band is more effected, increases with frequency and requires higher power to punch through clouds.

6G won't arrive for at another 10 years or more and will use Terahertz (>100Ghz) radio waves. Antennas will have to ridiculously close together (atmospheric absorption) and probably not viable for satellite broadcast until you go over 200GHz.

There might be a (call it) 5.5G. Instead of using the Ku band, it could use the Ka band. The gives 2-3 times more bandwidth and with new encoding schemes bypass lots of the Chinese patents on 5G. Hypocritical that the greatest IP pirates of all time are so insistent on royalties on their patents.
Posted by: Knuckles Javimble6283   2020-06-14 17:43  

#8  Echoing Knuckles Javimble6283’s question about major storms — will the satellites be able to punch through weather that so regularly shut down service to DirecTV that we gave it up for whatever we have now.

but 5G is gonna do that anyway.

I was under the impression that we are so close to whatever comes after 5G that we’re going to simply skip over it. Am I wrong?
Posted by: trailing wife   2020-06-14 16:54  

#7  Yeah, it will probably eat cable internet, but 5G is gonna do that anyway. 5G is the real competition and has the advantage of not losing service because there is bad weather overhead as well not needing ground stations (>$1500 production cost as of now).
Posted by: Knuckles Javimble6283   2020-06-14 16:44  

#6  Come on, I live in a leafy suburb and pay $90 a month for 3mb DSL. This starlink sounds great.

All the hard wired phone companies that bribe the local politicians to keep cable companies out of their town are going to go bankrupt.
Posted by: rammer   2020-06-14 14:45  

#5  Oh, and Musk, who owns StarLink, considers most of the press firms idiots... Don't expect him to buy CNN, or MS-anything or a newspaper like the Washington Toast... Those will just nose dive further without Sugar Daddies
Posted by: 3dc   2020-06-14 12:11  

#4  M. Murcek,
Think outside the box.
1) Farmer in his combine cutting corn and trading that crop on the board of trade at the same time.
2) Boater on a yacht in the middle of the Pacific able to access detailed weather, medical info even remotely work from the yacht while enjoying cruising.
3) Protester in Hong Kong able to access the internet outside of China's great data wall.
4) Skyping/Zoom to your relatives/buddies/associates from anywhere on the planet. Or if you have an I'Phone - facetime from the middle of the ocean or a park as the bear eats your family..
5) $80 for GB speed even at home is great. Much cheaper than Comcast or AT&T. My guess long term AT&T and Comcast shrink to city cores. Now think about the politics of this... AT&T owns CNN... Comcast owns NBC, MS-NBC, CNBC .... looks positive to me!
Posted by: 3dc   2020-06-14 12:06  

#3  You didn't watch TV or read a paper for days. You had a great time. Am I right?
Posted by: M. Murcek   2020-06-14 02:19  

#2  AW the good ole days when my wife had battery powered curling iron,battery powered vaccum cleaner a battery powered knife for carving turkey in our 11 foot cab over camper stuck in the sand in San Felipe Baja.
Posted by: crazyhorse   2020-06-14 02:16  

#1  I am happy to see this work, but $80 / month (or more)? I go to some remote places for outdoor recreation and internet is the last thing I think about when I pack for those trips. I'm reading that the terminal ain't gonna be cheap and initially it will not be something you pack into the wild with you. I hope they can make it cheaper and portable but that won't be happening very soon.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2020-06-14 01:46  

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