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Re:SpaceX Starlink average speedtest is 42.3Mbps down / 9.7 ... by dx87 on Thursday August 27, 2020 @08:40AM (#24293048)
In all your anti-american rambling, you are ignoring that SpaceX isn't the only company doing this.

> Other operators include the London-based OneWeb, which has launched 74 of what it hopes will be a gigantic fleet of 48,000 satellites

Re:SpaceX Starlink average speedtest is 42.3Mbps down / 9.7 ... by apexalpha on Thursday August 27, 2020 @08:44AM (#24293079)
It's not anti-American rambling. As I said in my other comment I'm aware of other companies doing the same. Although an American company will be first, with clearance from the American government.

I'm more drawn to the fact that the American government can greenlight this, even though it has global implications.

These things will also impact astronomy in Argentina. Where can they lodge a complaint? They will impact the night sky in Europe, yet we have no say in American government or decision making.

I can understand this has never been a problem because no one has ever been planning to launch 14,000 sats! But within 10 - 15 year maybe 3 or 4 companies might do it. Then we have 50,000 sats in LEO.

Will this be worth it? And if so, who weighs these pro's and cons? Just one government?

Feels like we're running headfirst into a new world where no one has thought of the consequences yet.

Re:SpaceX Starlink average speedtest is 42.3Mbps down / 9.7 ... by dx87 on Thursday August 27, 2020 @08:52AM (#24293149)
I agree that it's irresponsible, but most of your comment is "American infrastructure is horrible, European infrastructure is great. I can't believe American would force this on the rest of the world", even though it's a European company that's planning to put more of these satellites in the sky than every other company combined.
Re:SpaceX Starlink average speedtest is 42.3Mbps down / 9.7 ... by flingo on Thursday August 27, 2020 @12:20PM (#24295213)
> I'm more drawn to the fact that the American government can greenlight this, even though it has global implications.

They only need to greenlight the launch, and radio-transmissions over the US.

As far as I know, there is no central authority anywhere to stop you from putting/keeping a satellite in a certain orbit. (aside from someone else moving it out of that orbit by force)

Space border laws aren't super-well developed yet.

Re:SpaceX Starlink average speedtest is 42.3Mbps down / 9.7 ... by hylaride on Thursday August 27, 2020 @08:51AM (#24293135)
Oneweb is bankrupt. It may be half-rescued by the British govt as an attempt to build its own GPS system since they got kicked out of Galileo due to Brexit, but it is unlikely to be a player anymore.
Re:SpaceX Starlink average speedtest is 42.3Mbps down / 9.7 ... by tssva on Thursday August 27, 2020 @09:11AM (#24293314)
Bharti Global didn't plow 1/2 billion into OneWeb so it could just be a GPS system for the UK.