Who knew satellite had so much potential?
see http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/11/spacex-plans-worldwide-satellite-internet-with-low-latency-gigabit-speed/ If we were living in the 60s and satellite communication was just becoming a thing, you would think you could firmly place your bets (or investments) in a future of orbital communication (and later internet). The reality today is the latency is terrible, and the bandwidth wanting. With geo-stationary orbits, the satellites are simply... View Article
If we were living in the 60s and satellite communication was just becoming a thing, you would think you could firmly place your bets (or investments) in a future of orbital communication (and later internet).
The reality today is the latency is terrible, and the bandwidth wanting.
With geo-stationary orbits, the satellites are simply too far, incurring limiting latency, and with weaker signals.
SkyBridge had the right idea, with low-orbit satellites, but went broke. This meant written down assets, which were bought, by WorldVu and services sold for less.
I’m not yet sure if WorldVu are involved, but SpaceX, champion of cheaper LEO access, have a vision of global coverage.
I’m very optimistic. It’s not a solution for densely populated cities, but certainly rural users, from all walks of life.
I foresee an opportunity for Satellite backhaul in developing countries, which backs smaller terrestrial networks in denser populations.
Watch this space.
Attribution: For featured image – https://www.flickr.com/photos/miquelgp/14580059453