Re:SpaceX just got FCC approval to launch 7,518 satellites
by jacquesm on Thursday November 15, 2018 @02:40PM
(#18462541)
I'd expect the first and easy goal to be to sell high speed access to airline passengers.
Re:SpaceX just got FCC approval to launch 7,518 satellites
by pmoriarty on Thursday November 15, 2018 @04:37PM
(#18463626)
I'd rather expect it to be first sold to high frequency traders. HFT firms have paid astronomical amounts to shave milliseconds off of their connection times.
Re:SpaceX just got FCC approval to launch 7,518 satellites
by andrewflnr on Thursday November 15, 2018 @07:15PM
(#18464872)
Which is why I would expect them to already have better-latency options than going to space and back. Does anyone even bother setting up an HFT firm outside fiber range of a major exchange?
Re:SpaceX just got FCC approval to launch 7,518 satellites
by ryanmarsh on Thursday November 15, 2018 @03:08PM
(#18462823)
Considering how hard it is to get a cell signal inside a plane on the ground, and that these will require special CPE, and the airlines can't change the equipment on a plane without a ruling by the FAA, I wouldn't bet on it.
Re:SpaceX just got FCC approval to launch 7,518 satellites
by bcoates on Thursday November 15, 2018 @04:40PM
(#18463648)
Onboard internet provided by ground-based cellular or satellite already requires aftermarket hardware -- external antennas, routers inside the plane, and more.
It does require extensive testing and permission by the FAA (and the aircraft manufacturer, and the airline, and others) and extensive support teams in terminals but it's done semi-routinely.
Re:SpaceX just got FCC approval to launch 7,518 satellites
by buboard on Thursday November 15, 2018 @08:29PM
(#18465405)
not easy inside a faraday cage. In fact, how does spaceX plan to deliver the internet? Would people need access to a roof antenna? That rules out a lot of use cases
Re:SpaceX just got FCC approval to launch 7,518 satellites
by jacquesm on Thursday November 15, 2018 @08:51PM
(#18465566)
What is the last time you traveled on an airplane? In flight wifi is pretty routine now, aircraft have lots of infrastructure to enable this. It would definitely be possible to adapt that hardware to connect to the satellite system launched by SpaceX instead, all it would take is a different antenna and radio system that the Sat operator would be happy to provide.
Re:SpaceX just got FCC approval to launch 7,518 satellites
by buboard on Thursday November 15, 2018 @08:53PM
(#18465581)
I thought you meant some kind of direct passenger connection. I think airplanes already use satellites for the internet connection, no? In any case , i dont see the huge benefit here: they will still all be sharing the same routers and probably have the same connection speed.
Latency for medium to long distances could be better than regular fiber, both because of straigher paths and because speed of light in the relative vacuum of the satellites' orbits is higher than speed of light in fiber.
We don't know yet what kind of equipment the satellites will have, but fundamentally bandwidth is constrained by bandwidth per covered area. I guess they will sell gigabit or better to cargo ships at sea, similarly good speed to rural regions, but nothing interesting to urban areas. Providing fast internet to a city via satellite would be very challenging, providing lighning fast internet to lone people in a desert is much easier and more profitable (no competition).