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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
The Federal Communications Commission approved an application by Space Exploration Holdings, doing business as SpaceX, to provide broadband services using satellite technology in the United States and around the world. With this action, the Commission takes another step to increase high-speed broadband availability and competition in the United States.
This is the first approval of a U.S.-licensed satellite constellation to provide broadband services using a new generation of low-Earth orbit satellite technologies. SpaceX proposed a satellite system comprised of 4,425 satellites and was granted authority to use frequencies in the Ka (20/30 GHz) and Ku (11/14 GHz) bands to provide global Internet connectivity.
From Techcrunch:
The company has already launched test versions of the satellites, but the full constellation will need to go out more than two at a time. SpaceX eventually plans to launch 12,000 of the things, but this authorization is for the high-altitude group of 4,425; a separate authorization is necessary for the remaining number, since they'll be operating at a different altitude and radio frequency.
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(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Sunday April 01 2018, @08:17AM (2 children)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by archfeld on Sunday April 01 2018, @09:58PM
We only have one cable option, Spectrum and they top out at 23 and despite all their advertising they are not going to upgrade the infrastructure here in Yuma. I can get a Century link connection but that is barely 15 mbps here. In California I grew used to my 50-60 mbps connection through Astound(Wave). Hughes net is available here but horribly expensive. When I have to conference call for work or get busy I have to boot everyone off Netflix and Amazon to maintain the barest semblance of decent video and multiple workstation connections, and in the evening times even that won't cut it, leaving me working at midnight or driving to Phoenix which can be a 3 hour trip on a bad day. I'd love to have a Gbps connection but that isn't likely to happen anytime soon.
For the NSA : Explosives, guns, assassination, conspiracy, primers, detonators, initiators, main charge, nuclear charge
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Freeman on Monday April 02 2018, @02:19PM
I'm guessing this won't replace landline data services. At least not in the near future. What this would be great for is everywhere in the country that AT&T, etc don't care to build the last mile. There are plenty of places where Fiber is one street over, but AT&T or other company deems it not worth running the line to you. Then you have the people in the sticks who can't get anything better than dial-up / possibly Satellite.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"