Tag: broadband
-
FCC approves SpaceX’s plan to provide broadband services with Starlink satellites
SpaceX’s two prototype Starlink satellites are seen on either side of their carrier in advance of February’s launch. (SpaceX via YouTube) The Federal Communications Commission says it has approved SpaceX’s application to provide broadband internet access via thousands of Starlink satellites — a new breed of spacecraft that’s currently under development at the company’s…
-
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai endorses SpaceX’s plan for satellite broadband service
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is on board with SpaceX’s satellite plan. (Flickr Photo / FCCDotGov) SpaceX’s plan to beam broadband services to America and the world via its Starlink satellite constellation got a big thumbs-up today from Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Pai’s endorsement isn’t exactly a surprise: The FCC already has…
-
Why net neutrality’s peril raises the stakes for future satellite broadband options
An artist’s conception shows a constellation of satellites in orbit. (OneWeb Illustration) The Federal Communication Commission’s plan to start rolling back regulations on net neutrality comes as bad news for streaming video providers like Amazon and Netflix, and potentially for consumers as well, but it could also bring more attention to an emerging avenue for…
-
Boeing to build seven ‘super-powered’ satellites for SES’ O3b broadband network
The O3b mPOWER satellites will be built using electronics from Boeing’s flight-proven 702 satellite platform. (Boeing Illustration) Boeing Satellite Systems International has signed up to build a fleet of seven satellites that will provide broadband internet connectivity from medium Earth orbit for SES’ O3b network. O3b was set up a decade ago to provide internet…
-
SpaceX’s broadband internet satellite plan reportedly runs into opposition
A SpaceX satellite coverage scheme described in a patent application envisions two sets of satellites orbiting in different inclinations at different altitudes. (PatentYogi via YouTube) SpaceX’s plan to provide global broadband internet access using thousands of satellites in low-earth orbit has come under fire from competitors, including Boeing and OneWeb, according to Space Intel Report.…
-
Google patent filing hints at how SpaceX’s satellite broadband network could work
The satellite coverage scheme described in a patent application envisions two sets of satellites orbiting in different inclinations at different altitudes. (PatentYogi via YouTube) When it comes to providing global broadband internet coverage, two satellite constellations in low Earth orbit are better than one. At least that’s the implication of a patent application filed by…
-
SoftBank puts $1.7B into Intelsat merger with OneWeb satellite internet venture
An artist’s conception shows a OneWeb satellite in orbit. (OneWeb Illustration) Intelsat and OneWeb today laid out plans for a mega-merger aimed at bolstering their satellite internet services, with a $1.7 billion investment boost from SoftBank. The arrangement is a head-turner, due to the complicated conditions of the deal as well as its ambitious objective.…
-
SpaceX speaks up for its Seattle satellite operation after months of low-key work
SpaceX’s Redmond office is the center for its satellite operations. (GeekWire photo by Kevin Lisota) SpaceX has provided a rare update on its Seattle-centric plans to develop a multibillion-dollar Internet satellite network, saying that the work is now at a “critical stage.” That assessment is part of the company’s argument against giving away the bandwidth…
-
ViaSat trades in Falcon Heavy launch for Ariane 5
Artist’s concept of a Falcon Heavy rocket at launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: SpaceX Delays in the debut of SpaceX’s huge Falcon Heavy rocket have prompted ViaSat to move the launch of a high-speed Internet communications satellite from the new privately-developed booster to an Ariane 5 flight in early…