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Re:SpaceX launches more Starlink satellites, misses booster ... by tgsovlerkhgsel on Monday February 17, 2020 @10:36PM (#22353247)
If the marginal cost is low enough, it may be profitable to give rural populations Internet at a price that they can afford, even if it's way cheaper than in California, and so low that the entire system couldn't be run profitably if everyone could get it that cheap.
Re:SpaceX launches more Starlink satellites, misses booster ... by shaklee3 on Tuesday February 18, 2020 @12:56AM (#22353814)
It's not. they're using phased array on the ground, which is far more expensive than the already-too-expensive-for-poor-countries parabolic dishes.
Re:SpaceX launches more Starlink satellites, misses booster ... by TomMarius on Wednesday February 19, 2020 @06:04PM (#22371067)
Does each household really need 600 Mbps link? I think that could serve as a whole city connection in many places.
Re:SpaceX launches more Starlink satellites, misses booster ... by shaklee3 on Wednesday February 19, 2020 @06:14PM (#22371147)
Certainly not. But now you get in a much different business where you don't sell to consumers, but now you have to own/operate all your hot spots.
Re:SpaceX launches more Starlink satellites, misses booster ... by TomMarius on Thursday February 20, 2020 @08:38AM (#22374951)
I don't think so. I run a freenet across my town and it's really not a problem at all.
Re:SpaceX launches more Starlink satellites, misses booster ... by shaklee3 on Thursday February 20, 2020 @08:48AM (#22375014)
SpaceX would have to run tens of thousands of what you're doing all over the world, where regulations and laws are different. It's not comparable at all.
Re:SpaceX launches more Starlink satellites, misses booster ... by TomMarius on Thursday February 20, 2020 @10:20PM (#22380691)
Why would SpaceX run it? I am talking about freenets, the communities run these by themselves. SpaceX sells a station and connectivity to the group as a whole, and I'm pretty sure 600 Mbps (which conpares to nearly a hundred people watching a fullhd video, btw) is more than enough for a town - my network is still just 300 Mbps.
Re:SpaceX launches more Starlink satellites, misses booster ... by shaklee3 on Thursday February 20, 2020 @10:46PM (#22380789)
I think you're missing the point of spacex's business plan. First, what you're saying is somewhat common in the USA, but they have far too much competition in the USA for that to be profitable. Outside of the USA, WISPs aren't very common, and even if they were, it's a huge effort to sell your service through every other tiny company in different countries.