Forum Discussion
Bill_Satellite
Mar 22, 2019Explorer II
Everywhere satellite internet IS coming. Elon Musk recently launched a slew of Low Earth Orbit LEO satellites. Even "fast" satellite internet is slowed down due to the latency (time required for a round trip) problems. The DISH / DirecTV satellites are located 22,500 miles above the earth and it takes about 1/2 second for the signal just to travel that far. Multiply that by the number of requests that must be make to open just 1 page, you can imagine how long it takes to walk through multiple pages.
The LEO satellites will be much closer to Earth (I think about 250 miles like the Space Station). Because the will be so close, they will not be able to be Geo-Stationary and they will speed across the sky. To work, you have to be able to hook up to one as it flys by and then, before it drops below the horizon you connect to the next satellite coming into view. This will take many satellites and multiple orbits. If this sounds familiar, Google Iridium Satellites and you will get an idea of how they plan to make it work. Iridium just could not make it an affordable service or provide much in the way of speed other than being able to make satellite internet phone calls.
The LEO satellites will be much closer to Earth (I think about 250 miles like the Space Station). Because the will be so close, they will not be able to be Geo-Stationary and they will speed across the sky. To work, you have to be able to hook up to one as it flys by and then, before it drops below the horizon you connect to the next satellite coming into view. This will take many satellites and multiple orbits. If this sounds familiar, Google Iridium Satellites and you will get an idea of how they plan to make it work. Iridium just could not make it an affordable service or provide much in the way of speed other than being able to make satellite internet phone calls.
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