A few months ago, I wrote that SpaceX Starlink would in near future develop a “special phone” which would make it possible for users to connect directly to SpaceX satellites without an “intermediary” or downlink station. That call has come to pass: “OneWeb, Amazon, and others—is to offer broadband service directly to consumers. That’s the approach SpaceX’s Starlink is taking thus far; it has rolled out beta service to hundreds of thousands of users by selling them their own ground terminals.”
After you’ve spent a few billion dollars putting tens of thousands of internet-connected computers in space, what do you do with them?
One answer for the companies building mega satellite constellations in low-Earth orbit—SpaceX, OneWeb, Amazon, and others—is to offer broadband service directly to consumers. That’s the approach SpaceX’s Starlink is taking thus far; it has rolled out beta service to hundreds of thousands of users by selling them their own ground terminals.
The benefits? There’s no middleman, the company has total control of the system, and if like Elon Musk you have a global fan base, they’ll line up to take part. The drawbacks? The terminals are expensive to design and produce, and they expose users to the tricky parts of satellite communication, like making sure your antenna has a clear view of the sky and not a tree or nearby building.
Largely with this, SpaceX Starlink can deal directly with users, cutting even regulatory ordinance in nations. Unless a country bans the distribution of the phones, there is no way it can stop this redesign. The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) may need to review its playbook as these companies can reach directly to Nigerians without internet service providers or agents. That puts those lucrative spectrum licensing in jeopardy.
With Moore’s law on its side, the cost of the electronics will keep dropping – and over time, the phones will become cheap enough. If that trajectory is followed, be concerned if you are running a telco business, especially in rural Africa, because satellite broadband in this format Starlink is bringing it will provide a new basis of competition.
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I don’t see any major problem here for telcos, all they will need to do is to adjust business model and target customer.
Satellite has its limitations, so it can never be first choice in many instances, there will be enough space for everyone to demonstrate competence and relevance.
The focus should be on how the economies benefit, including wellbeing of the people, and not whether one company is giving another a beating, those things are ephemeral and a distraction too.
As long as more people participate in economic activities, the big corporations can keep spanking themselves up there.
This is a welcome development.
The only obstacle that they would contend with earth to satellite communication is the antenna issue and the use of line of sight if I would say.
People would want to use their phones indoors and not to worry about going to where there will be no obstructions.