SpaceX Starlink internet coming to Philippines this year?

[Tommy T.]

21 hours ago, Old55 said:

dictatorships like ccp or North Korea will block it as will some corrupt ones

Please tell me the difference between these two, Old?

[Tommy T.]

On 2/7/2021 at 3:39 AM, Reboot said:

Once it becomes available, I will become a customer in the RoP once I go back.

Local providers could become licensed resellers and get a piece of the revenues. It could also be used as backhaul for standard cellular services in more remote areas, no fiber or copper needed to connect the sites. I don't see it happening this year, although I could be wrong. They are still beta testing in North America. UK's OneWeb is also back in business after bankruptcy (and with dozens of satellites already in orbit), and Canada's Telesat has plans to loft its own constellation (there is already a test satellite in orbit). They can fill the same gaps as StarLink if they choose (although StarLink is far ahead in terms of satellite count).

 

 

On 2/7/2021 at 6:33 AM, Mike J said:

Amazon is also seeking permission to launch 3000 plus satellites for internet.  Deep pockets there so money to get up and running would not be an issue.

 

On 2/7/2021 at 11:25 AM, hk blues said:

If my experience here is anthing to go by, the big boys such as Globe and PLDT will try to exert influence to make it as difficult as possible to use this service. Whilst the current fee is beyond most here, these guys aren't stupid and are well aware that as economies of scale and competition kick in, the price will reduce. 

My other observation is that given the market for this service is likely to be the more remote areas, which here also often means poorer, I doubt that a monthly fee that is possibly 50% or more of their monthly income will attract many customers.

 

13 hours ago, Shady said:

So is electricity, are these things solar powered?

 

7 hours ago, Mike J said:

No, but an area with no electric service will not have computers or be able to charge a smart phone, etc.   I would expect that the chance to actually have internet would provide a major incentive to extend lines or provide solar to areas that may not have power.

 

7 hours ago, Mike J said:

I think the only practical way for Globe and PLDT to try and keep satellite service out of the market would be to improve the quality, speed, coverage, and reliability of cell coverage.  And that would be a win for underserved areas.  As far as cost I agree, but consider that this is the Philippines and it will take no time at all for someone to realize they can get the service, then use it a local hotspot for other users.  Fifty megs a second will provide adequate service to quite a few users and you could expect small internet cafes to start popping up in remote areas. 

I think all you guys and your comments are quite correct and appropriate.

Many, many remote islands I visited via yacht have solar or gas or diesel electrical generation - a surprising number actually. I can easily see them kicking in (or their government subsidizing) satellite internet service and then providing connections at a central "cafe" or kava bar or someone's home. Then there's the remote "outback" in 'Stralia, northern remote Canada and rural parts of USA. There are remote, mountainous regions in Central and South America and desert, remote parts of Africa and Asia...and on and on...

Just hope you don't go on a private, manned space flight somewhere or you might run into one of the 10's of thousands of new and old satellites, not to mention all the leftover space rubbish?

[Old55]

18 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

Please tell me the difference between these two, Old?

North Korea is ccp's sock puppet. Curious we don't hear any world leaders calling that out. $$$$$$$$$$$$ 

[Tommy T.]

On 2/7/2021 at 5:06 PM, Old55 said:

For sure dictatorships like ccp or North Korea will block it as will some corrupt ones.

Sorry, Old... my question was not clearly stated. I meant to ask, what is the difference between the dictatorships and corrupt ones?

[Old55]

2 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

Sorry, Old... my question was not clearly stated. I meant to ask, what is the difference between the dictatorships and corrupt ones?

Broadly the same but my thinking was.....

Dictatorships like ccp will block information that challenges their propaganda and lies to stay in power.

Corrupt leaders put companies that best suit themselves $$$$$ over ones that would provide the best service to the public.

President Duarte IMO falls into both category's as do others, in my opinion.

Edited February 9, 2021 by Old55

[hk blues]

2 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

Sorry, Old... my question was not clearly stated. I meant to ask, what is the difference between the dictatorships and corrupt ones?

I suppose it's possible to have a dictatorship which is not corrupt, Tom, just as it's possible to have a democracy which is corrupt.  Singapore is often described as a benevolent dictatorship yet isn't known for being corrupt.

Rare but possible.

[Old55]

New SpaceX launch expanding coverage.

 

SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites. Their goal is to blanket the planet in high-speed broadband

 

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched Sunday morning, sending 60 Starlink satellites into orbit.

Falcon 9 took off from the 39 launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at around 6 a.m., SpaceX said on Twitter.

The first stage booster supporting the mission completed eight flights prior to this launch.

"Falcon 9's first stage has landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, completing the ninth flight of that booster," SpaceX tweeted.

The Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket, which stands 70 meters or 229 feet tall, according to information provided during the broadcast of the launch. It is described by SpaceX as the "first orbital class rocket capable of reflight."

The 60 Starlink satellites were deployed about an hour after the rocket was launched.

Starlink is a satellite-based internet constellation intended to blanket the planet in high-speed broadband, and often touted as a way to potentially bring connectivity to the billions of people who still lack reliable internet access. 

The idea requires swarms of satellites operating in low-Earth orbit -- roughly 340 miles high, in SpaceX's case -- to provide continuous coverage.

About 1,000 Starlink satellites have been deployed, and SpaceX plans to grow Starlink to include more than 40,000 satellites. That's five times the total number of satellites humans have launched since the dawn of spaceflight.

SpaceX now owns about one-third of all the active satellites in space.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/14/business/spacex-starlink-satellites-launch/index.html

[Dave Hounddriver]

17 minutes ago, Old55 said:

Their goal is to blanket the planet in high-speed broadband

This is going to make it hard for third world dictators to control their people.  Even N Korea is going to have Internet access.  That guy is REALLY gonna have a bad hair day.

[fred]

I think I read that you need to buy the dish and receiver from Skylink..
Now assuming I can get those two pieces of equipment here and then pay Mr Musk monthly. quarterly or annually with my credit  or debit card, WTF could Globe or PLDT do to block my direct satellite signal even if they could legally?
I think Star link said they need like 14000 satellites before speeds of 250 MBPS can be achieved worldwide so I reckon another year or 2 before I throw away my next to useless Globe dongle!
 

[GeoffH]

1 hour ago, fred said:

I think I read that you need to buy the dish and receiver from Skylink..

And they're not exactly pocket size pieces of equipment.  As nice as it is to think that this will allow communication into countries like North Korea I don't think it's at that stage yet.  But this is only the first step, if they can shrink it and/or develop a portable version who knows...