I have Gbit fiber Internet, yet I pre-ordered Starlink:
✅ Planned speeds 1-10 GBit/sec
✅ Cells are valuable, limited real estate, 𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 in populated areas
✅ Independent
✅ Full constellation much lower latencies than terrestrial Internet
✅ To support SpaceX
✅ Planned speeds 1-10 GBit/sec
✅ Cells are valuable, limited real estate, 𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 in populated areas
✅ Independent
✅ Full constellation much lower latencies than terrestrial Internet
✅ To support SpaceX
https://twitter.com/mortenlund89/status/1362671645241016323
2/
Especially the "Starlink cells are a first-come-first-served limited resource" is poorly understood.
Starlink receiver's high-tech phased array antennas, consisting of ~600 ASICs, allow very tight radio beams - but beam size is still a few kilometers wide on the ground.
Especially the "Starlink cells are a first-come-first-served limited resource" is poorly understood.
Starlink receiver's high-tech phased array antennas, consisting of ~600 ASICs, allow very tight radio beams - but beam size is still a few kilometers wide on the ground.
3/
This physical property puts an upper limit on the number of subscribers per Starlink cell.
Each Starlink cell is roughy 4km × 4km currently, which suggests a beam size of 2-4 km.
This physical property puts an upper limit on the number of subscribers per Starlink cell.
Each Starlink cell is roughy 4km × 4km currently, which suggests a beam size of 2-4 km.
4/
Hypothetical example: if Starlink has 200 usable frequency channels in a given jurisdiction in their licensed spectrum, then they can support up to 200 full-speed clients on the ground in a single cell.
Hypothetical example: if Starlink has 200 usable frequency channels in a given jurisdiction in their licensed spectrum, then they can support up to 200 full-speed clients on the ground in a single cell.
5/
I.e., assuming 20% per channel per customer & no oversubscribtion, that's a maximum of ~60 subscriptions/km² - a small fraction of urban or suburban population densities.
If the beam size is larger than estimated (e.g. 10 km), then the limit could be even lower.
I.e., assuming 20% per channel per customer & no oversubscribtion, that's a maximum of ~60 subscriptions/km² - a small fraction of urban or suburban population densities.
If the beam size is larger than estimated (e.g. 10 km), then the limit could be even lower.
6/
I.e. there's a hard limit on Starlink subscriber geographical density: dictated by the physics of beaming to/from a ~28,000 km/h fast orbiting satellite 500 km away & the regulatory scarcity of frequencies usable on the ground.
Starlink subscription is a scarce asset. 🙂
I.e. there's a hard limit on Starlink subscriber geographical density: dictated by the physics of beaming to/from a ~28,000 km/h fast orbiting satellite 500 km away & the regulatory scarcity of frequencies usable on the ground.
Starlink subscription is a scarce asset. 🙂
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