http://www.starband.com/howitworks/index.htm
According to an insider, the beta system has so far only been distributed to
consumers with 56kbps upstream capability.
Regardless, 3 factors will determine the affcetiveness and reliability of
satellite uplininking:
1) Overcoming Earth-to-Space losses. Free space loss is approx. -120dB. Add
more for vegetation, uplink losses and receiver losses.
In Eugene, for example, and points north of about 42 degrees, GS birds
downlink signals can be 4dB lower than elsewhere. That's more than enough to
break a digital chain.
2) Channel loading. Ok, this thing works, it's cheap and now everyone has
one. How many users can be on at once? Satellites have finite receive
channel capability. Since these bird arent using any cutting edge
technology, my guess is they will be limited to several thousand users per
channel and only several hundred channels max. I'll see if I can get more
information from my source (the firm I'm working for now makes RF modems and
microwave data radios BTW).
If (presumably they are) they are using stream data rather than dedicated
channels, you can expect to see the RTT times to go in the crapper as user
loading goes up and packets sent multiply.
3) Liberal left wing Nazi housing nutcases will limit whom can place a 2x3
foot dish where.
Good luck!
I still think the best way is a wireless link to your ISP.
kg7fu
