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Re:Starlink internet is going from rural savior to unreliabl... by jacquesm on Monday April 03, 2023 @01:20AM (#35418852)
> It's a strong sign that the model fundamentally works

I think that's a bit early to tell. If the launch costs + satellite costs don't add up to a very nice profit before the satellite de-orbits then that was a loss. This can look like it is working well until the number of satellites de-orbiting and needing to be replaced becomes larger than your temporary profits after launching the first constellation.

This is why other comms satellite operators chose to play it safe and use geo stationary orbits rather than LEO, those satellites live many times longer and you need far fewer of them. Obviously they are limited in bandwidth and latency but they are ultra reliable.

Re:Starlink internet is going from rural savior to unreliabl... by senectus1 on Monday April 03, 2023 @01:47AM (#35419003)
I know three people in Australia personally that have starlink and are incredibly grateful and pleased they can get it.

The business model is strong, especially with V2 on its way

Re:Starlink internet is going from rural savior to unreliabl... by jacquesm on Monday April 03, 2023 @01:59AM (#35419071)
I am sure there are people that are grateful and pleased they can get it. That doesn't mean that there are enough of those people to support a constellation the size that you need for global coverage.
Re:Starlink internet is going from rural savior to unreliabl... by rsynnott on Monday April 03, 2023 @07:33AM (#35421752)
People liking a service doesn’t in itself mean the business model is good. For that, the figures have to add up.