Musk shakes up SpaceX in race to make satellite launch window: sources

Re:Musk shakes up SpaceX in race to make satellite launch wi... by walrus01 on Thursday November 01, 2018 @02:25AM (#18351782)

Yes I am also highly skeptical of what the CPE cost will be. Starlink has been over hyped in the non-satellite-industry technology press as if it will be a panacea for residential, rural internet access and for small business. But I'm thinking the rooftop terminal cost might be more like $3000-5000 of hardware, not totally outside the realm of possibility to recoup the cost for on 36 month contracts, but not something that's going to allow for $90/month residential broadband. More like a small-medium business product. Or $250-300/month.

If they can't do it economically and with enough gain, SNR and low noise factor using phased array (questionable), the rooftop CPE is going to have to look like an identical pair of motorized, two axis tracking 50cm compact cassegrain dishes, each with its own BUC+SSPA and Rx RF chain. Basically miniaturized o3b. Again not cheap.

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Re:Musk shakes up SpaceX in race to make satellite launch wi... by nickik on Thursday November 01, 2018 @07:00AM (#18352693)

> $3000-5000 of hardware

How do you get to that?

The will mass produce these themselves seems highly unlikely that they would be so expensive.

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Re:Musk shakes up SpaceX in race to make satellite launch wi... by walrus01 on Thursday November 01, 2018 @07:08AM (#18352752)

I'm basing it on my knowledge of all comparable two way satellite antennas, Rx/tx rf chains and modems. But there really is nothing comparable. The cost may end up being opaque and hidden to the end user wrapped up in 24, 36, 60 month service contracts. Sort of like how you can get a $950 phone for "$0" with contract.

Current phased array two way satellite stuff that is small, and intended for geostationary purposes, is manufactured in such small quantities that it is hard to compare.

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Re:Musk shakes up SpaceX in race to make satellite launch wi... by shaklee3 on Thursday November 01, 2018 @09:35AM (#18353716)

If it is cost-effective for SpaceX with 0 customers so far, do you think DirecTV, dish, etc, with millions of subscribers for more than a decade wouldn't do it? I would be good money they've spent their fair share of r&d on this, and the good ol ~70cm parabolic dish wins out. And they don't even have to solve the problem of the satellites moving.

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Re:Musk shakes up SpaceX in race to make satellite launch wi... by walrus01 on Thursday November 01, 2018 @10:45AM (#18354336)

DirecTV and others' Rx only geostationary market is 50x larger than small two way vsat, because most of the USA doesn't need vsat service. They're all based on standard cheap geostationary rx only tech. A DirecTV dish and feed + lnb are super simple and cheap to manufacture.

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