Starlink Beta in Georgia

[JeffinPTC]

Not exactly Firearms, Reloading, nor Scopes, but I just got an email from Elon offering Starlink internet in GA. Mine says second half of 2021.

If you're in the boonies like me in Meriwether County where the only option is using my cell phone data, this is a game changer. Up front cost is high at $550 for the ground station and $99/mo, but Elon said over the weekend to expect 300 mbps when its fully deployed. They launched another 120 satellites last week.


https://www.starlink.com/

 

[doomtrpr_z71]

Its got me considering switching in wilcox, I do miss my old unthrottled verizon data.

 

[chuckdog]

Where I live satellite is my only viable option. It's as terrible as everyone says.

Cell service is spotty at best here too.

Several times lately I've struggled getting an order placed for limited stock loading supplies. "Just stay connected long enough to get the confirmation!"

 

[JeffinPTC]

And I sent both my state reps a msg last month when the story came out about Georgia spending 20 mil a year for wired rural internet, asking them to consider working out a deal with Starlink to maybe pay the startiup cost instead of investing in wires.
No response, other than to authorize the $20 mil.

 

[thumper523]

My company is working with the State of TN in rural areas installing portable WiFi.
We build Hybrid LED Light Towers and convert them to hot spots.

 

[Steve762us]

Interesting...what kind of range does the tower WiFi give? Presumably, customer needs a higher powered WAP and yagi?

 

[RFWobbly]

The aerospace company launched its first batch of Starlink satellites into orbit in May 2019. Now, it has over 1,000 working satellites prepped for the service. The goal is to have up to 42,000 satellites in orbit by mid-2027.

The satellites are strapped onto the top of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and blasted into orbit, usually releasing 60 satellites per launch.

Well, those 2 paragraphs right there should give the conspiracy guys something to talk about for the next 50 years or so.

The guy in the convertible sports car is up there listening to you !

Incidentally, the Beta test homes up north are getting 60 M/sec internet speeds.

 

[Ray357]

Not exactly Firearms, Reloading, nor Scopes, but I just got an email from Elon offering Starlink internet in GA. Mine says second half of 2021.

If you're in the boonies like me in Meriwether County where the only option is using my cell phone data, this is a game changer. Up front cost is high at $550 for the ground station and $99/mo, but Elon said over the weekend to expect 300 mbps when its fully deployed. They launched another 120 satellites last week.


https://www.starlink.com/

I got the E-mail that it is available now at my address. There is only two things that bother me.
1.Paying upfront for equipment that's still in Beta.
2. No data caps "yet".

 

[JeffinPTC]

Good Article here:

https://www.tomsguide.com/news/star...-coverage-map-and-everything-you-need-to-know

Here's why my son wants to put all his savings into the stock when they go public:

SpaceX has already been awarded an $856 million grant from the US government to help bring broadband access to rural America.

He's sure the military wants this to prevent another "Lone Survivor," and is all In on Starlink.

 

[FJ1100FOREVER]

I got the E-mail that it is available now at my address. There is only two things that bother me.
1.Paying upfront for equipment that's still in Beta.
2. No data caps "yet".

The fact that it's in beta won't matter, it will update when available
They say no caps, 99.00 per month, in a country minute for me,our Sat internet is terrible

 

[K80]

I just pre-ordered as I only have Hughes Net and reseller mobile Hotspot available at my house. Hotspot only gets 2 -5 download speeds. 50+ would be great!

 

[doomtrpr_z71]

It's elon, all he does is win, he won't fail.

 

[RFWobbly]

Incidentally, the Beta test homes up north are getting 60 Mb/sec internet speeds.

Strike that... My son (who works from home, but lives on a dead-end street that WindStream is not interested in upgrading) has already subscribed. He's in IT and says the system will eventually end at 300 Mb/s !!

 

[rosewood]

And I sent both my state reps a msg last month when the story came out about Georgia spending 20 mil a year for wired rural internet, asking them to consider working out a deal with Starlink to maybe pay the startiup cost instead of investing in wires.
No response, other than to authorize the $20 mil.

Thing about wired, assuming it is fiber optic and not copper, it is virtually future proof. Once you have fiber placed, there is virtually no limit to the speed upgrades and it is unaffected by weather. Satellite will be dependent upon how many folks are on it and limited in bad weather.

One other thing about satellite, it can be hacked or have the signal blocked. Fiber can only be accessed by the provider.

Rosewood

 

[doomtrpr_z71]

Thing about wired, assuming it is fiber optic and not copper, it is virtually future proof. Once you have fiber placed, there is virtually no limit to the speed upgrades and it is unaffected by weather. Satellite will be dependent upon how many folks are on it and limited in bad weather.

One other thing about satellite, it can be hacked or have the signal blocked. Fiber can only be accessed by the provider.

Rosewood

Starlink doesn't work like regular satellite internet, weather doesn't affect it. If you think fiber can only be accessed by the provider you're in for a rude awakening.

 

[rosewood]

Starlink doesn't work like regular satellite internet, weather doesn't affect it. If you think fiber can only be accessed by the provider you're in for a rude awakening.

Do tell.

Of course anything can be accessed. But the signal for a fiber optic cable isn't going to be intercepted by a Chinese satellite in orbit. Any RF signal can be affected by weather. That is physics.

Rosewood

 

[doomtrpr_z71]

Do tell.

Of course anything can be accessed. But the signal for a fiber optic cable isn't going to be intercepted by a Chinese satellite in orbit. Any RF signal can be affected by weather. That is physics.

Rosewood

It will slow the internet some but since there are multiple satellites in low orbit it will take seriously bad weather to actually sever the link, 50mbs in the rain is substantially faster than what the thieves with windstream can provide with fiber. Why would the chinese intercept the signal between the ground and the satellite, everything has to go through the same gateways regardless whether it's fiber, satellite, or cell phone?

 

[rosewood]

I am sitting on 100mb here and could have 1gig if I wanted to pay a little extra. It is on a fiber connection directly to the CO. 1 GIG is no matter the weather.

The reason the Chinese would intercept, easier to mine data from more users at once. It is much easier to secure on fiber. That is the reason the government and other entities demand a fiber connection.

Rosewood

 

[doomtrpr_z71]

I am sitting on 100mb here and could have 1gig if I wanted to pay a little extra. It is on a fiber connection directly to the CO. 1 GIG is no matter the weather.

The reason the Chinese would intercept, easier to mine data from more users at once. It is much easier to secure on fiber. That is the reason the government and other entities demand a fiber connection.

Rosewood

Congratulations, the rest of us in rural georgia don't have that choice. The chinese aren't going to hack starlink, it's encrypted end to end, the us military uses it. The satellites run on linux, even if you hack one the end to end encryption makes it pretty useless and linux isn't easily exploited. Your fiber isp is spying on you by the way....

 

[StriperrHunterr]

Sorry. Satcom guy who worked in spacecraft control here just to settle one thing. If it's in the 12GHz band, like the tom's article up above says it is, that is most definitely impacted by weather. It's called rain fade and there's usually a link budget drawn up where the provider, through remote control of your node, can increase power to and from you, if needed. That's traditional satcom, though, I have no insight into how their network is spec'd but I'd imagine it's much the same.

Other bands have different degradation sensitivities, such as Ka being susceptible to high winds. That's because the beam width, think like a flashlight, gets narrower as you go up in frequency or antenna size. Large antennas, like those at teleports, using Ka frequencies have been known to have degradation due to winds being able to push "sloppy" drives around.