Starlink is a cost effective internet-via-satellite provider run by SpaceX at 2024-01

• currently (2014-01) counts over x > 2 mio customers
• SpaceX plans to put 12.000 to 42.000 satellites into Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
• currently (2024-01) 5289 satellites (Wiki) in LEO.
  • as there are not so many ground stations (most in US and EU and Australia and some in Chile) the satellites have to relay data frome satellite A to satellite B via laser:
    • “newest Starlink satellites have laser communication elements to transmit signals between satellites, reducing dependency on multiple ground stations” (techtarget.com)
  • running the stats: in 2023:(according to this src and LibreCalc)
    • 63x Falcon 9 flights delivered: (average of 32x satellites per launch)
      • 2005 satellites (100%)
      • of which 1987 are operational (99.102%)
        • this means:
          • at a rate of +166 satellites per month
          • another +6.03 years to 12000 satellites
          • another +21.13 years to 42000 satellites (now it becomes clear why Elon want’s Starship to deliver more satellites in shorter time)

How does the custom made, military grade, high-tech phased-ground-antennas called “Dishy McFlatface” work?

btw. while “dishy” likes to sit still in one place (makes beaming that data much easier, as the satellites are already moving at 27358km/h at distance of 550km (1x earth orbit every 90min)

it is also possible now to use starlink on moving objects like ships but: “need a specialist high performance antenna and a subscription to Starlink’s Maritime service” (rivieramm.com)

Any Bottlenecks yet?

2023-07: “In particular, users in Canada and the US, Starlink’s two core markets, saw their internet speed slip. At the beginning of 2022, Starlink’s average data rate in the U.S. was 90.55 Mbps, according to speed test specialist Ookla. Half a year later, it was only 62.53 Mbit/s. Canada also recorded decreasing values. In Germany, too, Starlink was getting slower and slower for users. At the end of 2021, the Internet-via-satellite service still shone with an average download speed of 115.58 Mbit/s. Even the landline network with DSL, VDSL, cable internet and fiber optics could not keep up. According to Ookla, the average download rate here was 65.86 Mbps. On the other hand, the landline was faster in upload (22.4 Mbit/s vs. 15.17 Mbit/s).”

(Auto translated from src)

was running the last “proper” test in 2023-12 via wifi via S21 Ultra and got 200MBit/s via nperf.com

Which is okayish.

it WILL GET CRAZIER: Starlink 4 SmartPhones!

the nightmare of every phone company (price wise probably not yet) is in the making: one tarif one network FOR THE WHOLE GLOBE on UNMODIFIED LTE (4G) CAPABLE PHONES!

more visuals:

PS:

It must be noted, that SpaceX is in cooperation with Google to run the networking on the ground stations.

It must also be noted, that SpaceX’ Starship is currently the best ticket for mankind to collonize Mars, hence it is worth supporting it.

links:

next launch: https://www.go4launch.de/

stats: https://planet4589.org/space/con/star/stats.html

good flight! and: fly safe!

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