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I've been to Africa and seen the real world impacts of the lack of communications. I'm against anything that stands in the way of solving that specific problem.

I've been to Africa and seen the real world impacts of the lack of communications. I'm against anything that stands in the way of solving that specific problem. Astronomers come second to that, plain and simple.

George83728 3y ago
I guess you missed this recent news story: Starlink v2 reached the brightness reduction target recommended by astronomers So we can now have both. Africans can have their satellite internet, and astronomers can see their dwarf stars. Both should be satisfied so what are you so bitter about?
- qwytw 3y ago
  > Africans can have their satellite Well I'm not sure about that. There are 3 African countries where Starlink is available (unlike for instance every single country in the EU where both fiber and 4/5G coverage is quite decent already). Also even in these 3 countries it's still prohibitively expensive for the majority of the population.
  - George83728 3y ago
    Take it up with barelyauser, I only mention Africa because they brought it up.
  - inemesitaffia 3y ago
    For certain segments of users. Especially with unlimited data, starlink is cheaper once you pass certain data thresholds
    - qwytw 3y ago
      In certain countries, yes. Still not very affordable to a median Nigerian (one of the three African countries)
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ianburrell 3y ago
Starlink Residential is not available in Africa except for handful of countries (Nigeria is the big one). The pricing is $600 for hardware and $100/mo for plan. Where the extreme poverty line is $700/yr. Starlink will definitely help provide internet for whole villages, or to remote cell towers. And distributing the costs may make them affordable. But my suspicion is that charities will donate hardware and then when support runs out, the villages will cancel the service. You seem to assume that Starlink is the only solution to communications in rural Africa. There are other proposed satellite constellations. There is the traditional fiber optics and cell towers. Starlink in the US is successful because of the failure of government and companies to run lines to rural customers. Most importantly, those options are available if Starlink doesn't work from light pollution.
- inemesitaffia 3y ago
  Starlink doesn't cost $100 a month in Nigeria

George83728 3y ago

I guess you missed this recent news story: Starlink v2 reached the brightness reduction target recommended by astronomers So we can now have both. Africans can have their satellite internet, and astronomers can see their dwarf stars. Both should be satisfied so what are you so bitter about?

qwytw 3y ago
> Africans can have their satellite Well I'm not sure about that. There are 3 African countries where Starlink is available (unlike for instance every single country in the EU where both fiber and 4/5G coverage is quite decent already). Also even in these 3 countries it's still prohibitively expensive for the majority of the population.
- George83728 3y ago
  Take it up with barelyauser, I only mention Africa because they brought it up.
- inemesitaffia 3y ago
  For certain segments of users. Especially with unlimited data, starlink is cheaper once you pass certain data thresholds
  - qwytw 3y ago
    In certain countries, yes. Still not very affordable to a median Nigerian (one of the three African countries)

deleted 3y ago

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ianburrell 3y ago

Starlink Residential is not available in Africa except for handful of countries (Nigeria is the big one). The pricing is $600 for hardware and $100/mo for plan. Where the extreme poverty line is $700/yr. Starlink will definitely help provide internet for whole villages, or to remote cell towers. And distributing the costs may make them affordable. But my suspicion is that charities will donate hardware and then when support runs out, the villages will cancel the service. You seem to assume that Starlink is the only solution to communications in rural Africa. There are other proposed satellite constellations. There is the traditional fiber optics and cell towers. Starlink in the US is successful because of the failure of government and companies to run lines to rural customers. Most importantly, those options are available if Starlink doesn't work from light pollution.

inemesitaffia 3y ago
Starlink doesn't cost $100 a month in Nigeria