Re:Beta users of Starlink get downloads of 11 to 60 Mbps
by serf on Friday August 14, 2020 @06:22PM
(#24164002)
>Even a reliable 10mbps would be a godsend in many places.
my first foray into 'rural' internet was during the late 90s, using a satellite+modem setup.
The bandwidth was fairly decent -- equivalent to a fast ISDN line -- but the reliability was horrendous.
Drops constantly, only to wait for a whole new modem negotiation and reconnect. Think about the idea of an analogue phone modem but over an unreliable aerial connection.
My point in this anecdote : don't take the upstream/downstream values at face value -- there are more things that go into a connection that's actually worth using.
That said , I have nothing but hope for Starlink. I still frequent rural areas that , if broadband is available, it's severely limited bandwidth. I'm glad there will soon exist an alternative -- let's hope that efforts are made to keep the astronomers happy so that this network can be a real boon to humanity.
my first foray into 'rural' internet was during the late 90s, using a satellite+modem setup.
The bandwidth was fairly decent -- equivalent to a fast ISDN line -- but the reliability was horrendous.
Drops constantly, only to wait for a whole new modem negotiation and reconnect. Think about the idea of an analogue phone modem but over an unreliable aerial connection.
My point in this anecdote : don't take the upstream/downstream values at face value -- there are more things that go into a connection that's actually worth using.
That said , I have nothing but hope for Starlink. I still frequent rural areas that , if broadband is available, it's severely limited bandwidth. I'm glad there will soon exist an alternative -- let's hope that efforts are made to keep the astronomers happy so that this network can be a real boon to humanity.