How does high-speed satellite internet work around the world?

Satellite internet is usually one of your last choices – latency and weather vulnerability make it worse than fiber and cable, but at least it's not dial-up. However, there are currently several projects, including SpaceX's Starlink, that aim to not only accelerate satellite internet, but also make it available anywhere on Earth.

SummaryWho's behind it?How it works:lower orbits and larger constellationsEnough with the tech stuff, when can I get it?Why it's awesomeWhat could go wrongIn conclusion

The first two Starlink satellites were launched in February 2018, and although SpaceX is reluctant to divulge concrete details, it is possible that internet operations will begin in 2020 and could cover much of the world by 2024 if it does. meets its FCC-mandated deadline.

Who is behind all of this?

As cool as it may be, a constellation of satellites won't add new scorpions or lions to the night sky. In fact, you won't be able to see it at all. It's more like a big net, completely surrounding the Earth with a network of satellites. This technology is not very new. You use a constellation every time you use GPS, for example.

What is new is the scale. Starlink plans to start with 800 and build up to 12,000 more, which would double the current number of satellites in orbit and be able to reach every square inch of the Earth with high-speed internet.

Why so much? It comes down to orbit height:most of today's satellite systems are in geostationary Earth orbit (GEO), which means they are 35,786 km/22,236 mi above the Earth's surface. . The new systems will be in low Earth orbit (LEO), which will place them 160 km/99 mi – 2000 km/1,200 mi above the surface. Simply put, our current satellite internet is slower because the satellites are farther away; bringing them closer decreases signal travel time.

But here's the catch. Imagine a flashlight shining on a bowling ball:if the flashlight is very close, the light only shines on a small area. The more you move the flashlight, the more you can cover the ball. Now replace the bowling ball with Earth, the flashlight with a satellite, and the light with data transmission. Since the satellites/flashlights are closer to Earth, each can cover less area, so it takes a lot more to cover the same distance. On the plus side, most LEO projects estimate that their speeds will be comparable to today's fiber optic capabilities, with virtually no latency.

Enough-with-the-tech-stuff, when-can-i-get-it?

At this point, it's less about if High-speed satellite internet will happen and no longer a question of when . If you live in the continental United States, you're in luck:Most current projects, including Starlink, plan to begin coverage there first, likely around 2020 or 2021. If there is has delays, that data could be pushed back, but it's probably safe to say the network will be at least semi-global by 2025.

Details on what your new internet plan will look like are scarce. With its wide coverage, it's likely to be reasonably priced to appeal to a large user base, and like any other satellite internet, you'll need to purchase hardware and a subscription to use it.

Why it's awesome

• Literally, the whole world will have the Internet. Rural areas are an obvious beneficiary, but even urban areas with poor connections or high-priced internet monopolies could benefit. It doesn't take much of the imagination to see the myriad ways a real World Wide Web could change the way things work.
• Perhaps its greatest potential, however, does not lie in giving already connected countries a slight increase in coverage. Both Starlink and OneWeb are very focused on serving the underserved, putting a lot of emphasis on the potential of developing countries and remote areas. 51% of the world currently has Internet access; these constellations could push that number much closer to 100%.
• And if all that wasn't enough, if Musk wins the race, he plans to use Starlink proceeds to fund future trips to Mars, making humanity multiplanetary.

What-could-go-wrong

Unfortunately, as with any complex project of this magnitude, there are many things that can go wrong:

• It's expensive. SpaceX has made great strides in making satellites cheap and cut the cost of launches by up to 75%, but they have a lot of satellites to launch, and unexpected cost overruns could still happen.
• There are already some legal issues, particularly regarding who has the right to use the best frequency bands. There may also be international issues - North Korea, for example, might not be too happy to have satellites hanging above them giving internet left and right, and other countries will have regulatory standards to be met.
• Then there is space junk. This is already a problem, and putting thousands of new satellites into orbit could make the situation worse. SpaceX has already agreed to much stricter standards than usual to ensure all of its satellites deorbit safely, but accidents do happen. To combat this, SpaceX is researching space debris cleanup technology and recently launched an experimental satellite called DeleteDEBRIS, which may help alleviate the problem.

In conclusion

Don't drop your internet connection and start staring at the sky right away. The best-case scenario is still a few years away, and during that time a lot can happen in the rapidly changing worlds of technology and space exploration. If you live in a developed country, this will probably only be a minor improvement to your life anyway; the real potential for change lies in developing countries, and the effects that there might be could reverberate for the benefit of the whole world.

Image credit:JCT600