glend
16-06-2019, 09:35 AM
I am starting to see some potential for the SpaceX Starlink network. Sure it is clogging up the lower Earth orbit space with these little boxes, but if it does offer global internet access (beyond the control of nationstate actors who wish to suppress freedom of expression) it may serve to defeat attempts to turn off the internet to large segments of the population. The gotcha is going to be the access to the local transceiver that you will need to get on this network. For sure they would be banned in certain countries, even as the Starlink boxes pass overhead.
Starlink says this about the transceiver:
"It will use a flat Phased Array antenna about the size of a pizza box or laptop computer and expected to cost between $100 and $300.
You will needs line of sight to the open sky, mounted on your roof or anywhere outside.
The antenna handles both upload and downloads and is capable of gigabit speeds."
So it seems you will need a laptop, the antenna, and an application.
Usage fees may apply.
Starlink says this about the transceiver:
"It will use a flat Phased Array antenna about the size of a pizza box or laptop computer and expected to cost between $100 and $300.
You will needs line of sight to the open sky, mounted on your roof or anywhere outside.
The antenna handles both upload and downloads and is capable of gigabit speeds."
So it seems you will need a laptop, the antenna, and an application.
Usage fees may apply.