Reports indicate that Americans are clearly interested in both SpaceX’s Starlink and 5G broadband as potential home Internet services. But so far it is unclear which option is more attractive compared to traditional cable broadband. Some reports shows that Americans are more interested in Starlink, while others indicate that most people are not sure whether they will use one or the other. The demand for better internet is of course there due to [gestures at everything], but there is clear confusion about which type of internet connection would be best. So let’s dive in to clear it up.
First, where you live will probably determine if you get better internet from Starlink or via 5G. SpaceX’s Starlink is a satellite internet service, which means it works best with a clear view of the sky in open spaces. Storms, trees, buildings, snow or any other natural or man-made obstruction can weaken the signal or drop the internet connection completely. Data packets and other virtual information are literally radiated from space, so if any of these things get in the way, your internet is likely to become spotlight.
Not only that, but also there is a limited amount of bandwidth that a satellite can offer users, so too many users connecting to a terminal means internet speed at the same time. Critics skeptical of Starlink have pointed this out in the coming months the FCC’s award of rural broafunds for the service that have not yet been proven.
‘My concern is not about the capacity of one or two users, but what happens when you reach 20, 30 or 40 or 50,000 users. Of course, you have to share the same constellation across the country, ” said Tim Bryan, chief executive of the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative. during a recent press conference. ‘I have no doubt that the Starlink constellation can be successful in some areas, especially not in the deep blue sea. I struggle to see how it will deliver 100 megabit service reliably to the hundreds and thousands of customers in the census block groups he has offered for. ”
5G has an advantage over Starlink in terms of reliable service, because it is built on top of existing cellular infrastructure. To get 5G home service, you need to stick an antenna or a small receiver / transmitter on your home, which can then ping a 5G antenna on a nearby cell tower. The 5G signal radiates to your home and then a wifi router covers your space with wireless internet.
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People living in rural towns and cities have a better chance if they can afford it with Starlink than with 5G, unless telecommunications invests in providing service to their areas. People living in rural towns and cities have a better chance if they can afford it with Starlink than with 5G, unless telecommunications invests in providing service to their areas. For mmWave 5G you need more towers because the speed moves at a higher frequency over much shorter distances. For more slowly, the middle to low band 5G, the existing towers will be ready. (Basically do not expect to get fast internet in the countryside.)
T-Mobile said it plans to have 9.5 million 5G Home subscribers by 2024. Verizon’s own 5G Home service is still incredibly limited – to specific parts of specific cities – and the carrier has not indicated how many people it wants to attract.
Starlink currently has only 10,000 customers, although the number may increase fast because SpaceX recently opened pre-orders for its satellite internet service. Maybe we will have a better idea of the demand for its satellite internet service if or when the company announces its pre-order numbers. The company requested permission from the FCC in August last year to deploy up to 5 million user terminals due to interest. But the question is whether SpaceX will launch enough satellites to cover the areas it needs to cover and provide reliable service.
Depending on where you live, one of the two options may not be better than wired broadband or fiber. But for areas with understaffed and unattended people who do not have a reliable internet service, this is a problem 19 million Americans—Large Internet Service Providers Fall Off the Track. No wonder Starlink sounds attractive – for people, satellite internet may be the only real option.
Are you a Starlink customer? Email me at [email protected] and let me know what your experience was like.