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RE: Starlink changing the course of human history. Exactly. We've already seen Russian authorities say that people will be arrested for using Starlink. All of

RE: Starlink changing the course of human history. Exactly. We've already seen Russian authorities say that people will be arrested for using Starlink. All of a sudden, governments have lost the ability to shut off the internet without some serious jamming. Just thinking of the post-disaster communications potential is pretty staggering. (I feel compelled to mention that I'm not a "fan" of Elon Musk.) I'd love to see a multi-link mesh appear across the world, with Starlink stations, wifi, 4/5G, fibre and cable, etc etc. I honestly think that basic low-broadband speeds should be free to everyone in the world, and so should the ability to serve up content from a cheap Raspberry Pi.

rkangel 6y ago
> Exactly. We've already seen Russian authorities say that people will be arrested for using Starlink. All of a sudden, governments have lost the ability to shut off the internet without some serious jamming. I'm not sure that's the case. I believe you have to licence spectrum in the same way that you would if you were offering a terrestrial based service, and if you don't have a licence then you'd have to turn off the beams as the satellites passed over that part of the ground.
- seniorivn 6y ago
  And what happens when you(the owner of satellites) don't turn it off? legally you are out of reach, so it becomes politics
  - rkangel 6y ago
    All international law is effectively diplomacy (politics) that has been pre-agreed. The current status quo (as I understand it) is that the US Gov is unlikely to allow a private company to breach international law by making unauthorised transmissions into another country. It would be a brave foreign policy decision for the US Gov to decide to permit that. A logical response from Russia or China (or any other nation with the capability) would be to start shooting down satellites. They would have reasonable grounds to do so, and I think it very unlikely that anyone wants to start a space war.

rkangel 6y ago

> Exactly. We've already seen Russian authorities say that people will be arrested for using Starlink. All of a sudden, governments have lost the ability to shut off the internet without some serious jamming. I'm not sure that's the case. I believe you have to licence spectrum in the same way that you would if you were offering a terrestrial based service, and if you don't have a licence then you'd have to turn off the beams as the satellites passed over that part of the ground.

seniorivn 6y ago
And what happens when you(the owner of satellites) don't turn it off? legally you are out of reach, so it becomes politics
- rkangel 6y ago
  All international law is effectively diplomacy (politics) that has been pre-agreed. The current status quo (as I understand it) is that the US Gov is unlikely to allow a private company to breach international law by making unauthorised transmissions into another country. It would be a brave foreign policy decision for the US Gov to decide to permit that. A logical response from Russia or China (or any other nation with the capability) would be to start shooting down satellites. They would have reasonable grounds to do so, and I think it very unlikely that anyone wants to start a space war.