3 ms·
Perhaps, but it's likely to be highly directional and it's possible we'll end up using lasers. Radio is really only viable at the moment because pretty much al
by simonh 5y ago
Perhaps, but it's likely to be highly directional and it's possible we'll end up using lasers.
Radio is really only viable at the moment because pretty much all communications goes to or from Earth (sometimes via relay) and on Earth we can build massive radio dishes to transmit very powerful signals, and enormously amplify reception. In the future a lot of comms will be between points other than Earth, and in many of those locations radio antennas many dozens of metres across won't be viable. I think at that point we'll most likely switch to lasers for communications over interplanetary ranges. Starlink are planning to use lasers for their sat-to-sat relay links.