Musk Starlink now has a new problem

pianotuna wrote:

n0arp wrote:
Starlink is segmented into geographical service areas, referred to as cells. Each cell has a user limit, as well as other criteria that we aren’t privy to. You have to go into their portal and change your service location, which may be rejected if the cell that contains that service location is full, closed, etc… If you aren’t in or very close to the cell set in their portal, you won’t be able to connect.

So does one set this up over the wobbly wide web? If so that implies one needs to do it before arriving?

Yeah, we plan ahead and will usually set it via our cell phones on the way in. Or at the site, if it has usable cell signal. Sometimes we'll plan a few weeks ahead, and grab a slot somewhere we expect will be busy. We're heading to Quartzsite in a couple weeks, and have already configured SL for that cell to ensure we get a slot.

Yosemite Sam1 wrote:
As described, this appears that Starlink beam down it's signal through earth-bound relays where you are actually connected.

In that case, it defeats the purpose because my intent is to have signals anywhere I go on the concept that I'm actually connected directly to Starlink satellites.

My personal hotspot and booster may be better but still watching when Starllink would have enough satellites and bandwidth to enable direct connection for which I heard Musk saying that this is the intent.

During the initial launch, the signal path was from your edge equipment, to a satellite, to a ground station. They are now enabling signal paths between satellites, so you can be farther from a ground station and your signal path will be from your edge equipment, to a satellite, to any number of other satellites, to a ground station. In the end, it sounds like they will drop the requirements to tie your service to a specific cell, to enable "true" mobile usage. For now, the signal paths available in your particular area of the sky denote availability, as well as their capacity planning. More satellites, and more satellites with the satellite to satellite connectivity enabled, will reduce the constraints -- but it's all still in beta and being phased in somewhat slowly.

We've used StarLink multiple times where cell service was nonexistant, even though we have a robust setup for 4G/LTE that usually allows us to find signal where others can't. Again, StarLink is just another tool to have in addition to your 4G/LTE providers. Not a replacement at this time.