SpaceX will deliver global high-speed internet in 2019 using more than 4,000 satellites

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

SpaceX wants to launch satellite internet in 2019 with initial test to be carried out by the end of this year, according to a hearing at the Senate in Washington.

Elon Musk's company plans to release more than 4,000 satellites into orbit in instalments between 2019 and 2024.

The plans will increase the number of satellites in space by 300 per cent and will create worldwide internet that could offer speeds of up to one gigabit per second - which is around 100 times faster than current home broadband.

In a Senate hearing on US Broadband infrastructure, the SpaceX vice president of government affairs, Patricia Cooper, revealed that the company wanted to launch their operations in 2019.

The network of satellites could provide 'fiber-like' speeds for a large area, according to Ms Cooper.

'The system is designed to provide a wide range of broadband and communications services for residential, commercial, institutional, governmental and professional users worldwide,' SpaceX wrote in its application.


The documents, which include technical details of the proposed network, did not mention cost estimates or financing plans.

Financial backers of the company include Alphabet's Google Inc and Fidelity Investments, which together have contributed $1 billion (£0.8bn) to Musk's space launch firm.

According to a database by the Union of Concerned Scientists, there are 1,419 active satellites currently orbiting Earth, so SpaceX's fleet would make it five times bigger.

Each satellite in SpaceX's planned group will weigh about 850 lbs (386 kg) and be roughly the size of a Mini Cooper.

They will orbit at altitudes ranging from 715 miles (1,150 km) to 790 miles (1,275 km).

From this height each satellite will be able to cover an area on the ground about around 1,300 miles (2,120 km) wide.

The proposed SpaceX network would begin with the launch of about 800 satellites to expand internet access in the United States, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the FCC filings showed.



Similar internet-via-satellite networks are under development by privately owned OneWeb and by Boeing.

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/04/spacex-internet-satellites-elon-musk.html

 

[FordGT90Concept]

But what's the latency?

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

I'm pretty sure its a laser based system.............Last month Nasa announced it is releasing a powerful laser that could provide internet at a speed of one gigabit per second by 2019.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

I highly doubt it. Long distance lasers aren't reliable outside of a vacuum. Ehm, they could communicate with each other using lasers but getting the signal to Earth, not so much.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Here are some more details directly from SpaceX's filing, which are notable:

• High capacity: Each satellite in the SpaceX System provides aggregate downlink capacity to users ranging from 17 to 23 Gbps, depending on the gain of the user terminal involved. Assuming an average of 20 Gbps, the 1600 satellites in the Initial Deployment would have a total aggregate capacity of 32 Tbps. SpaceX will periodically improve the satellites over the course of the multi-year deployment of the system, which may further increase capacity.
• High adaptability: The system leverages phased array technology to dynamically steer a large pool of beams to focus capacity where it is needed. Optical inter-satellite links permit flexible routing of traffic on-orbit. Further, the constellation ensures that frequencies can be reused effectively across different satellites to enhance the flexibility and capacity and robustness of the overall system.
• Broadband services: The system will be able to provide broadband service at speeds of up to 1 Gbps per end user. The system's use of low-Earth orbits will allow it to target latencies of approximately 25-35 ms.
• Worldwide coverage: With deployment of the first 800 satellites, the system will be able to provide U.S. and international broadband connectivity; when fully deployed, the system will add capacity and availability at the equator and poles for truly global coverage.
• Low cost: SpaceX is designing the overall system from the ground up with cost- effectiveness and reliability in mind, from the design and manufacturing of the space and ground-based elements, to the launch and deployment of the system using SpaceX launch services, development of the user terminals, and end-user subscription rates.
• Ease of use: SpaceX's phased-array user antenna design will allow for a low-profile user terminal that is easy to mount and operate on walls or roofs.
• The satellites will last between 5 years and 7 years and decay within a year after that.

http://uk.businessinsider.com/spacex-internet-satellite-constellation-2016-11

 

[dorsetknob]

50 years time

""Mummy Daddy where are all the Stars gone""

"Don't worry son they are still there they are just hidden behind the Wall of satellites

 

[Disparia]

50 years time

""Mummy Daddy where are all the Stars gone""

"Don't worry son they are still there they are just hidden behind the Wall of satellites

Only if you can't afford a ticket off this planet

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

i used to love spotting satellites when i was a kid.

 

[TheMailMan78]

Great.....MORE spam emails from Africa.

They don't need internet. They need condoms.

 

[rtwjunkie]

Just what we need, a satellite shield.

 

[dorsetknob]

i used to love spotting satellites when i was a kid.

I Still do
But these days i worry Slightly that its not a Satellite moving across the Sky but Someone's ICBM on Route

 

[FordGT90Concept]

25-35 ms is very reasonable assuming that's the delay to reached the wired network. ~20 gbps is poor though because that means only 20 1 gbps customers per satellite which isn't much. When you think about the cost to get that satellite into space and pay for the traffic on the ground, I wouldn't be surprised if that 1 gbps link costs in excess of $1000/mo.

I'm interested but...we'll see what price the service is offered at, for how much bandwidth, and how reliable it is.

 

[TheMailMan78]

25-35 ms is very reasonable assuming that's the delay to reached the wired network. ~20 gbps is poor though because that means only 20 1 gbps customers per satellite which isn't much. When you think about the cost to get that satellite into space and pay for the traffic on the ground, I wouldn't be surprised if that 1 gbps link costs in excess of $1000/mo.

I'm interested but...we'll see what price the service is offered at, for how much bandwidth, and how reliable it is.

I'm sure they will overcharge and bleeding heart governments will foot the bill so that (developing) countries can "progress". Now every Tom, Dick and Akbar will have access to PornHub on taxpayers dollars. Nothing will progress in those countries except the spreading of malware and porn subscriptions.

 

[Shengli]

Great.....MORE spam emails from Africa.

They don't need internet. They need condoms.

 

[eidairaman1]

Well satellite tv seems to not be right still so how will this be any better???

 

[DRDNA]

Well satellite tv seems to not be right still so how will this be any better???

This is the kind of development that will propel the quality in video services as well.

 

[bbmarley]

25-35 ms is very reasonable assuming that's the delay to reached the wired network. ~20 gbps is poor though because that means only 20 1 gbps customers per satellite which isn't much. When you think about the cost to get that satellite into space and pay for the traffic on the ground, I wouldn't be surprised if that 1 gbps link costs in excess of $1000/mo.

I'm interested but...we'll see what price the service is offered at, for how much bandwidth, and how reliable it is.

i recall reading some place it is planned to be free

 

[DRDNA]

i recall reading some place it is planned to be free

With a potential of having the whole world on the books I could see it being pretty affordable potentially.

 

[remixedcat]

watch out for it being massively filtered like fuckerberg's attempt at the same thing... India doesn't even want it.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

i recall reading some place it is planned to be free

Then how are they paying for it? Launch satellites is expensive, terrestrial bandwidth to connect to other networks is expensive, staff to develop the systems is expensive, and satellites will have to be replaced as fast as they're launched because they lose their orbit (5-7 years).

 

[64K]

I may have missed it but did anyone estimate how much it would cost to put those 4,000 satellites into orbit and what would be the long term cost if they only lasted 5 to 7 years before needing replacement? It doesn't seem economically viable. I think there are already some satellite internet services for people in rural areas with no broadband but aren't they ridiculously expensive?

 

[TheMailMan78]

I may have missed it but did anyone estimate how much it would cost to put those 4,000 satellites into orbit and what would be the long term cost if they only lasted 5 to 7 years before needing replacement? It doesn't seem economically viable. I think there are already some satellite internet services for people in rural areas with no broadband but aren't they ridiculously expensive?

https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...re-than-4-000-satellites.233057/#post-3651813

AND you will pay for it with via taxes.

 

[lyndonguitar]

Yes please, I would like this. the internet sucks in my country, and they're not doing anything to improve it because there is no competition, whenever someone would invest/try to compete with them, the providers will just buy them out.

I hope they complete this and make if available to us in a very competitive(cheap) price without the government/local companies interfering.

I wanna be optimistic and want this to happen. A single rocket could potentially launch up to 100 satellies (they would need to make the satellites small) and satellites in GEO orbit can stay for SUPER LONG periods of time. and satellites in LEO can stay from 10 to 100 years, depending on it's thrusters and fuel to readjust it's orbit back to normal. so whether they would go GEO or LEO

Let's say SpaceX advances it's technology enough that it is able to launch 150 satellites per launch. that would require less than 30 launches for it to work. around 1 launch per month over the course of 3-4 years would be enough to cover the globe. combine it with SpaceX's cost-cutting reusable landing tech and it would be way cheaper than some may realize.

Subscription fees. they could offer a super cheap low-tier of speeds with less than 1Gbps connection which will be 'subsidized' by the high cost of high tier plans(20+Gbps). also get investors and put in a package deal for Netflix, Steam, Spotify, Uber, Internet TVs, Phones, and such, justifying to their investors as extending their audience(SpaceX allows them to offer their services fast and easy WORLDWIDE, to reach those places they would never reach) reducing the cost even more

 

[Steevo]

The problem with socialism is you eventually run out of other people's money, but the rich will stay rich and us average schlubs will pay to install it, run it, and replace it. Just like current internet technology, they have already taken billions in tax dollars, and tax breaks, found ways to milk the system by inflating their own construction costs.

https://www.ntia.doc.gov/report/2014/nineteenth-quarterly-status-report-congress-regarding-btop

 

[AsRock]

50 years time

""Mummy Daddy where are all the Stars gone""

"Don't worry son they are still there they are just hidden behind the Wall of satellites

Did you not get the memo ?, they going use the satellites as a ozone layer.