SpaceX StarLink satellite internet [UPDATES]

[DocM]

6 hours ago, LostCat said:

My ISP did run fiber out here in the ass end of nowhere and I love them for it.  I’d love to stay with them, but they refuse to enable ipv6 which irritates me.  I can’t guarantee anything about Starlink but I suspect they’ll support modern routing protocols better and have better latency over longer distances than land networks so depending on initial setup costs I’d love to move over.[/quote]

Internally StarLink won't use ipv6 but something faster and made for sat-2-sat laser routing. 

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I’m not saying I actually need it, just that tech companies that refuse to keep up with the times are another reason to switch.

Unless they move to join the party these ISP dinosaurs will also meet their fate at the hands of space-based disruptors.  

[spaceelf]

1 hour ago, DocM said:

Internally StarLink won't use ipv6 but something faster and made for sat-2-sat laser routing. 

Right, but to actually talk to other computers on the internet you still need a source and destination address so somewhere it's got to be translated into common protocols.

[DocM]

3 hours ago, LostCat said:

Right, but to actually talk to other computers on the internet you still need a source and destination address so somewhere it's got to be translated into common protocols.

Right. And the proposed solar system internet will likely be using NASA's  Delay/Disruption Tolerant Network (DTN). Musk was talking today about using StarLink derived satellites at the Mars end.

[DocM]

StarLink gateways are going I to Australia and New Zealand.

 

Canada's CRTC has issued a BITS license to StarLink, good to 2030.

 

https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2020/lt201015.htm?_ga=2.37305056.1391295878.1602986695-818203350.1602986695

 

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Canada's CRTC has licensed StarLink for Basic International Telecommunications Services (BITS).

Telecom Commission Letter addressed to Bret Johnsen (Space Exploration Technologies Corp.)

Ottawa, 15 October 2020

Our reference: 8190-S206-202002799

BY EMAIL

Bret Johnsen
Space Exploration Technologies Corp.
1 Rocket Road
Hawthorne, California  90250
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Re: Application for a Basic International Telecommunications Services (BITS) Licence

Dear Bret Johnsen,

On 15 May 2020, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. completed an application for a Basic International Telecommunications Services (BITS) licence for the provision of international telecommunications services, pursuant to section 16.3 of the Telecommunications Act (the Act). 

The Commission received 2585 interventions regarding Space Exploration Technologies Corp.’s BITS application. After consideration of the comments received, the Commission has approved the application and a BITS licence is enclosed.

Please note the BITS licence conditions, which can be viewed on the back of the enclosed licence, include regular filings to the Commission.

The Commission notes that a BITS licence does not by itself authorize an entity to operate as a facilities-based carrier or non-facilities-based service provider. All entities who provide services as a facilities-based carrier must at all times comply with the appropriate regulatory framework, including the ownership and control requirements of section 16 of the Act and the Canadian Telecommunications Common Carrier Ownership and Control Regulations. Entities who provide services as a non-facilities-based service provider must register as such with the Commission and comply at all times with the appropriate regulatory framework.

Sincerely,

Original signed by

Claude Doucet    
Secretary General

Enclosures

 

 

[spaceelf]

I'm curious what the initial hardware and service costs will be.  I want the service, but considering it won't be a huge speed upgrade for me it depends.

 

And most everyone has a habit of lowballing early service prices then raising them later, so there's that too.

[DocM]

 

[DocM]

Oh, My... MS Azure + StarLink

 

 

 

[DocM]

20 hours ago, DocM said:

Oh, My... MS Azure + StarLink

 

 

 

The SpaceX StarLink + Microsoft Azure alliance is deepening. 

 

Earlier article

https://spacenews.com/spacex-ses-to-provide-broadband-for-microsofts-azure-space-mobile-data-centers/

 

New article

https://spacenews.com/spacex-teams-with-microsoft-for-space-development-agency-contract/

 

SpaceX teams with Microsoft for Space Development Agency contract

WASHINGTON — SpaceX earlier this month won a $149 million contract from the Defense Department’s Space Development Agency to build four satellites to detect and track ballistic and hypersonic missiles.

Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX president and chief of operating officer, revealed in a pre-recorded interview released Oct. 20 that Microsoft is a subcontractor working on the SDA program with SpaceX. 

Shotwell in the video spoke with Tom Keane, corporate vice president of Microsoft Azure Global, about a new agreement to use SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband to connect Azure cloud computing data centers deployed around the world.  

Keane also asked Shotwell to discuss the companies’ other partnership for the SDA contract.

“We were pleased that Microsoft was on our team,” said Shotwell. “We will be delivering to the government a number of satellites that host a capability to protect against ballistic weapons,” she added. “Microsoft will be doing quite a bit of work as a subcontractor which I think was kind of a funny twist to the relationship here.”

The SDA satellites, to be delivered by September 2022, will have a “wide field of view” overhead persistent infrared sensor capable of detecting and tracking advanced missile threats from low Earth orbit. The spacecraft will have optical crosslinks to pass data to relay satellites. 

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[DocM]

Starlink US pricing,

 

After the FCC rural subsidy auction, and assuming SpaceX gets funding, covered customer's costs should be lower.

 

And if those revenue estimates hold up, SpaceX will have 50% more income than NASA has budget.

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/27/spacex-starlink-service-priced-at-99-a-month-public-beta-test-begins.html

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SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service is priced at $99 per month, according to e-mail

 

SpaceX is expanding the beta test of its Starlink satellite internet service, reaching out via email on Monday to people who expressed interest in signing up for the service.

Known as the “Better Than Nothing Beta” test, according to multiple screenshots of the email seen by CNBC, initial Starlink service is priced at $99 a month – plus a $499 upfront cost to order the Starlink Kit. That kit includes a user terminal to connect to the satellites, a mounting tripod and a wifi router. There is also now a Starlink app listed by SpaceX on the Google Play and Apple iOS app stores.
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...Elon Musk’s company posted that form in June and, less than two months later, SpaceX said that “nearly 700,000 individuals” across the United States had indicated interest in the service.
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...The network is an ambitious endeavor, which SpaceX has said will cost about $10 billion or more to build. But the company’s leadership estimate that Starlink could bring in as much as $30 billion a year, or more than 10 times the annual revenue of its rocket business.
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[spaceelf]

Alright I expected an up front cost but damn o.O

 

I guess I'm out.  My current stuff is good enough at that point.

[DocM]

1 hour ago, LostCat said:

Alright I expected an up front cost but damn o.O

 

I guess I'm out.  My current stuff is good enough at that point.

 

If you're in the US the rural govt. subsidies from FCC could lower costs if SpaceX wins a bid in one of the upcoming auctions.  These prices also may not apply overseas.

[IsItPluggedIn]

3 hours ago, LostCat said:

Alright I expected an up front cost but damn o.O

 

I guess I'm out.  My current stuff is good enough at that point.

They will most likely end up with a plan that has the upfront cost rolled into plan, once the service starts outside of beta, or you get it on a lease and need to send it back when you stop using it.

 

But im guessing your not their target market. Mainly people still running ADSL1 or current satellite services would jump at that deal(if they can afford it).

Im not sure they will get to their estimated $30 billion, which is about 300 million subscribers. There is many, many more people that would want the service but may not be able to afford it, especially in places like India, middle east, island nations, etc.

[DocM]

3 hours ago, IsItPluggedIn said:

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Im not sure they will get to their estimated $30 billion, which is about 300 million subscribers. There is many, many more people that would want the service but may not be able to afford it, especially in places like India, middle east, island nations, etc.

 

SpaceX has said international pricing levels will be localized, lower prices where incomes are low, and Morgan Stanley values StarLink alone at $80.9 billion. That's $30B more than Northrop-Grumman and just under Boeing.

[spaceelf]

4 hours ago, IsItPluggedIn said:

But im guessing your not their target market. Mainly people still running ADSL1 or current satellite services would jump at that deal(if they can afford it).

Never said I was their target market heh.  But I do appreciate an upgrade (in tech if not in the entire package) so I'm still going to be interested whether I buy or not.

[DocM]

Here a StarLink, there a StarLink, everywhere a StarLink...

 

 

 

[DocM]

 

 

 

[spaceelf]

Unsurprisingly it's a little rough in bad weather and early results.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/11/spacex-starlink-has-some-hiccups-as-expected-but-users-are-impressed/

I'll hold opinions except that it's definitely not replacing my service as is, we'll see how it goes over time.

[DocM]

53 minutes ago, LostCat said:

Unsurprisingly it's a little rough in bad weather and early results.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/11/spacex-starlink-has-some-hiccups-as-expected-but-users-are-impressed/

I'll hold opinions except that it's definitely not replacing my service as is, we'll see how it goes over time.

It depends on the material obstructing the beam and the number of visible satellites, which will increase exponentially in short order - another batch going up this weekend. Snow isn't as big a problem as rain, and because of the shorter distance vs. geostationary satellites the signal is much, much stronger.  This distance decrease also loweres the latency.

 

This guy seems to like it

 

[DocM]

SpaceX's StarLink gets Federal funding for rural internet... 

 

Hit the business press after FCC filings this morning, showing they got a big chunk of the $9.2 billion program. Geostationary providers like Hughes and ViaSat, not so much - their latencies are too high.

 

This is a Really. Big. Deal.

 

 

 

 

 

[DocM]

SpaceX wants to provide VoIP service over StarLink, it becoming an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier...

 

https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/starlink-phone-calls

 

 

[DocM]

 

 

[spaceelf]

Woof I think I would jump on that 300Mb service.

 

Still fairly happy with my current service but who would argue with a 3x increase at the same price?

[DocM]

1 hour ago, LostCat said:

Woof I think I would jump on that 300Mb service.

 

Still fairly happy with my current service but who would argue with a 3x increase at the same price?

 

A recent FCC filing says they're planning to offer up to 10 Gbps with their next-gen satellites.

[DocM]

Building StarLink hardware in Texas, not CA or WA.

 

https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/5111363002?gh_jid=5111363002

 

 

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AUTOMATION & CONTROLS ENGINEER (STARLINK)

 

Remote - Austin, TX

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

 

AUTOMATION & CONTROLS ENGINEER (STARLINK)

 

SpaceX is developing a low latency, broadband internet system to meet the needs of consumers across the globe. Enabled by a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites, Starlink will provide fast, reliable internet to populations with little or no connectivity, including those in rural communities and places where existing services are too expensive or unreliable. Starlink is now delivering initial beta service and accepting pre-orders both domestically and internationally, and will continue expansion to near global coverage of the populated world in 2021.

To keep up with global demand, SpaceX is breaking ground on a new, state of the art manufacturing facility in Austin, TX. The Automation & Controls Engineer will play a key role as we strive to manufacture millions of consumer facing devices that we ship directly to customers (Starlink dishes, Wi-Fi routers, mounting hardware, etc). Specifically, they will design and develop control systems and software for production line machinery – ultimately tackling the toughest mechanical, software, and electrical challenges that come with high volume manufacturing, all while maintaining a focus on flexibility, reliability, maintainability, and ease of use.

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[TrevorLahey]

From early this morning:

 

Successful launch and landing.