Satellite Internet

Cuban Satellite Connectivity - Today and (Maybe) Tomorrow

In January of 2017, Doug Madory of Dyn Research reported on Cuban traffic, noting that C&W's share had increased. Later in December Madory reported that ETECSA had activated a new internet transit provider, medium-Earth orbit (MEO) satellite-connectivity provider O3b Networks (Other 3 billion), replacing geostationary satellite provider Intelsat. (They have also added Telecom Italia, which, until 2011, owned 11% of ETECSA, but I will save that for another post). more

SpaceX Starlink and Cuba - A Match Made in Low-Earth Orbit?

I've suggested that Cuba could use geostationary-orbit (GSO) satellite Internet service as a stopgap measure until they could afford to leapfrog over today's technology to next-generation infrastructure. They did not pick up on that stopgap suggestion, but how about low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite Internet service as a next-generation solution? SpaceX, OneWeb, Boeing and others are working on LEO satellite Internet projects. more

Important Developments on Low-Earth Orbit Satellite Internet Service (2017 Review)

The internet is unavailable and/or unaffordable by about 50% of the world's population. The situation is worse in, but not confined to, developing nations where the service is typically sub-standard when it is available.Geostationary satellite connectivity is available globally, but it is slow and expensive because the satellites are high above the Earth. Low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites can deliver speeds comparable to terrestrial links, but constellations of many satellites would be needed to serve the entire planet. more

OneWeb Satellite Internet Project Status Update

SpaceX and OneWeb are formidable, experienced competitors in a race to become global Internet service providers using satellite constellations -- routers in space. I posted a status report on SpaceX last week, now let's look at OneWeb. OneWeb founder and executive chairman Greg Wyler has extensive experience with networking in developing nations. In 2003 his company, Terracom, signed a contract to connect Rwandan schools, government institutions, and homes. more

SpaceX Satellite Internet Project Status Update

I've been following the efforts of SpaceX and OneWeb to become global Internet service providers using constellations of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites for some time. Launch times are getting close, so I'm posting a status update on SpaceX's project... The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing titled "Investing in America's Broadband Infrastructure: Exploring Ways to Reduce Barriers to Deployment" on May 3, 2017, and one of the expert witnesses was Patricia Cooper, SpaceX Vice President, Satellite Government Affairs. more

AT&T Chief Challenges Economics of SpaceX’s Mobile-Network Strategy

AT&T CEO John Stankey questions the economics of SpaceX's expanding mobile strategy as regulatory filings and independent measurements show the spectrum, satellite capacity and terrestrial infrastructure involved in scaling direct-to-device service. more

SpaceX Deploys First 26 Starlink V3 Satellites on Starship

SpaceX deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites on Starship’s first orbital mission, beginning a network expansion whose promised capacity gains depend on the spacecraft completing checkout and entering service. more

SpaceX Wants to End Rural Broadband Subsidies

SpaceX argues that Starlink makes rural broadband subsidies obsolete, but questions about speed, universal availability, voice service and affordability complicate its case for eliminating high-cost Universal Service Fund support. more

Remote Work Is Here to Stay, but Rural Broadband Gaps Remain

Remote work remains far above pre-pandemic levels, but rural participation trails urban areas as job mix and inadequate broadband limit opportunities for working from home. more

Starlink’s Other Network

Starshield gives SpaceX a separate military satellite network, raising a broader question about whether Starlink could dedicate satellites to cellular and business backhaul without reducing broadband capacity for residential customers. more

FCC Moves to Open 1,050 MHz of Spectrum to Satellite Broadband

The FCC plans to open 1,050 MHz in the 12.7 GHz and 42 GHz bands to expanded satellite use, adding capacity for broadband, mobile connectivity, inter-satellite links and ground networks. more

Satellite Collisions Rise as Earth’s Orbits Grow Crowded

Rapid satellite growth is raising collision risks as orbital debris accumulates, avoidance maneuvers multiply, and solar storms could disable spacecraft, exposing the absence of effective international governance for increasingly crowded orbits. more

NASA Awards Blue Origin Up to $700 Million for Mars Communications Network

NASA selected Blue Origin to build and operate a Mars communications network, extending commercial infrastructure into deep space with high-capacity relays and delay-tolerant networking designed for reliable, interoperable communications among future missions. more

4iG and SpaceX Plan Starlink Mobile Rollout Across Hungary and Western Balkans

4iG and SpaceX plan direct-to-device Starlink services across four European markets, alongside secured government communications, but national spectrum approvals and key details of the proposed sovereign infrastructure remain unresolved. more

China’s Qianfan Emerges as a Satellite Internet Option for Cuba

China's Qianfan satellite constellation could bring high-speed internet to Cuba, where Starlink remains banned, deepening Beijing's digital influence while giving Havana a connectivity upgrade designed to preserve the government's control over online access. more