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> In addition to getting the satellites in orbit, SpaceX will need to build a vast system of ground stations and affordable user terminals if it is going to con
by voisin 6y ago
> In addition to getting the satellites in orbit, SpaceX will need to build a vast system of ground stations and affordable user terminals if it is going to connect consumers directly to its network.
Why are ground stations required? I thought you were connecting from your dish to the satellite and therefore could be anywhere with a view of the sky.
- mechagodzilla 6y agoThe ground stations will have very fast fiber connections to the greater internet for the satellite network. The user terminals will connect to dishes / antenna at peoples houses, like directv
- joeyo 6y agoThe ground stations tie the satellite network into the internet. Once they have the inter-satellite laser links operational, they will be able to get by with many fewer ground stations.
- ourmandave 6y agoMy cable provider is Mediacom and their advertising used to say how much better than Dish they were. But hidden from view behind their main building a bunch of satellite dishes. =)
- LeifCarrotson 6y agoThere are two kinds of ground stations: the one at your home/business (the modem/"pizza-box antenna") and the ground stations that connect the satellites to the trunk lines/backbone.
- Rebelgecko 6y agoEventually you'll want to talk to a computer that isn't directly connected to starlink. The ground stations are necessary to bridge that gap (and run the constellation)
- raducu 6y agoYou typed "the same satellite you are connected on" wrong. Starlink satellites don't talk to one another at this point.
- Laremere 6y agoThere is currently no satellite to satellite communication with the first iteration of the technology. This means you need ground stations to receive the traffic coming from the user terminals. This can either hooked up directly to the internet backbone (ideal), or bounce to another satellite closer to the backbone connection. Basically, user computer <--> user wifi or router <--> user terminal <--> satellite <--> ground station <--> fiber <--> peering to other internet providers.
- voisin 6y agoThank you!
- jzebedee 6y agoYou might find Mark Handley's visualization illuminating: https://youtu.be/m05abdGSOxY https://youtu.be/m05abdGSOxY
- voisin 6y agoThank you!
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]