Starlink Update

[TechWriter]

Starlink needs 6 launches in order to offer Internet service in Northern US and Southern Canada (see "What are the milestones that need to happen before I can sign up?" in Starlink WIKI)

Launch #2 is scheduled for 12/31/2019.

Launch #3 is scheduled in January.

1/2 way there.

[boyland]

I think for a lot of folks they have no idea what starlink is.

SpaceX will launch Low orbit Satellite internet service this year likely mid summer.

The advantage is use most anywhere in USA and equipment will be much like a more flat version of the Tgo unit imo.

Must have clear line of site to sky can expect around 50meg internet service from anywhere estimate cost range in the $80 per month range.

They are set to launch again tomorrow which i believe will put active units around 230 i see they have schedule one more launch shortly which will put them at 290.

Very exciting times taking shape here

Originally Posted by TechWriter

Starlink needs 6 launches in order to offer Internet service in Northern US and Southern Canada (see "What are the milestones that need to happen before I can sign up?" in Starlink WIKI)

Launch #2 is scheduled for 12/31/2019.

Launch #3 is scheduled in January.

1/2 way there.

[LarryJB]

I believe launch #4 is scheduled for tomorrow 1/21/2020

[boyland]

looks like weather will move the 4th launch to another day bummer.

[wfalch]

That quote should be in Murphy's Laws.

[docj]

Originally Posted by boyland

Must have clear line of site to sky can expect around 50meg internet service from anywhere estimate cost range in the $80 per month range.

Even though I'm usually a technology enthusiast, I urge applying some caution before assuming that this is all going to occur on schedule, that it's all going to work perfectly and that the prices will be less than competing cellular service. Things hardly ever go together that easily.

IMHO the line of sight issue could be a serious problem for RVers until we understand more about the requirements. It's my understanding that the antenna will be a flat phased array "pancake" that will be mounted on the roof. Because these satellites are not in fixed positions, but, rather will be whizzing around overhead, I assume that a fairly large clear view of the sky may be needed to maintain access. I was usually able to get my satellite TV dish aligned to point at a single position in the sky looking between trees, but providing a larger clear field of view could be a serious concern at many locations.

As for cost, despite Musk's claims of his planned eventual price point, the only reference we have to date are the prices of his Tesla vehicles, none of which can be considered inexpensive. I don't doubt that the price of his internet service will come down over time, but I'd be real surprised if the initial pricing is less than competing cellular service options. His price will,no doubt, come down if another competing satellite system is launched, but his competition are far behind him. When and if 5G cellular becomes a viable option on a large scale that will also result in price competition, but until then I don't see any driver to force down Starlink's prices.

I don't want people to think that I'm a Luddite, but I do try to be a realist with respect to introduction of "disruptive technologies" into society. Some technologies enter the market easily and demonstrate exponential growth. For example, it's hard to believe that it's been little more than 10 years since the introduction of the smartphone. However, many other technologies have taken far longer to achieve a high degree of market penetration.

All I'm saying is that I'm not yet ready to give up my Jetpack!

Joel (AKA docj)

[boyland]

I would agree and no i am not ready to give up anything. But Joel you know that i am techie and of course this is a new application of existing tech. In reality he is just applying the same tech as viasat or hughesnet just a much closer distance which is why the latency is reduced. I saw Hughes net had or has a system that looks almost identical to what he describes however the price point was 3500 so that would not fly off the shelves i am expecting the equipment cost to run the 400-500 range.

It needs to feed his future plans so i am sure there will be backlog of customers to start but it will have to be price competitive to provide a long term funder.

I would see this system working much like a fixed mounted satellite system if you are cover in trees you are not going to work but with open sky above you it should. Just a guess but i think it is a fair assumption.

Originally Posted by docj

Even though I'm usually a technology enthusiast, I urge applying some caution before assuming that this is all going to occur on schedule, that it's all going to work perfectly and that the prices will be less than competing cellular service. Things hardly ever go together that easily.

IMHO the line of sight issue could be a serious problem for RVers until we understand more about the requirements. It's my understanding that the antenna will be a flat phased array "pancake" that will be mounted on the roof. Because these satellites are not in fixed positions, but, rather will be whizzing around overhead, I assume that a fairly large clear view of the sky may be needed to maintain access. I was usually able to get my satellite TV dish aligned to point at a single position in the sky looking between trees, but providing a larger clear field of view could be a serious concern at many locations.

As for cost, despite Musk's claims of his planned eventual price point, the only reference we have to date are the prices of his Tesla vehicles, none of which can be considered inexpensive. I don't doubt that the price of his internet service will come down over time, but I'd be real surprised if the initial pricing is less than competing cellular service options. His price will,no doubt, come down if another competing satellite system is launched, but his competition are far behind him. When and if 5G cellular becomes a viable option on a large scale that will also result in price competition, but until then I don't see any driver to force down Starlink's prices.

I don't want people to think that I'm a Luddite, but I do try to be a realist with respect to introduction of "disruptive technologies" into society. Some technologies enter the market easily and demonstrate exponential growth. For example, it's hard to believe that it's been little more than 10 years since the introduction of the smartphone. However, many other technologies have taken far longer to achieve a high degree of market penetration.

All I'm saying is that I'm not yet ready to give up my Jetpack!

Joel (AKA docj)

[TechWriter]

Originally Posted by boyland

looks like weather will move the 4th launch to another day bummer.

Rescheduled for the 24th

[Isaac-1]

I agree that we don't know how pricing or exact initial coverage will be yet, however we should get a much better idea within the next few months how this is going to shake out. For those of us that have been around the block a time or two, we saw this same thing with GPS (particularly on boats) when it first went live around 1990. At first coverage was spotty, and only functional a few hours per day, then as more satellites were launched it became better and better, until it reached the point we still know today. With SpaceX on a pace of launching batches of 60 satellites at a time, once or twice per month, and so far having schedules slip only by a couple of days per launch so far it seems like this will be roughly on schedule going live sometime later this year at least for a portion of the US, then spreading to more and more coverage each month thereafter until the constellation of satellites is fully complete in 4-5 years.

[TechWriter]

Originally Posted by boyland

. . . i am techie and of course this is a new application of existing tech. In reality he is just applying the same tech as viasat or hughesnet just a much closer distance which is why the latency is reduced. I saw Hughes net had or has a system that looks almost identical to what he describes . . .

Besides low earth orbit, Starlink uses a slew of moving sats while HughesNet and Exede/ViaSat both use only a few sats (5 and 4) in geostationary orbits.

Originally Posted by docj

Because these satellites are not in fixed positions, but, rather will be whizzing around overhead, I assume that a fairly large clear view of the sky may be needed to maintain access. I was usually able to get my satellite TV dish aligned to point at a single position in the sky looking between trees, but providing a larger clear field of view could be a serious concern at many locations.

Yeah, if you're under trees or don't have a "wide open view of the sky" (from the Starlink FAQ), then you aren't going to receive the signal.

With a HughesNet sat system (old and current) you can aim through a hole in the trees, probably not so with a Starlink pizza box.

Originally Posted by boyland

It needs to feed his future plans so i am sure there will be backlog of customers to start but it will have to be price competitive to provide a long term funder.

Despite claims that Starlink is designed primarily to provide Internet service to broadband-starved rural folks, Starlink will probably be getting the lion share of its revenue from worldwide financial markets (see 10 min 19 sec into video below) who will pay through the nose for Starlink's speed.

video

[boyland]

moved to Jan 27th