Starlink promises direct-to-cell internet, but physics may have the final say
Starlink promises direct-to-cell internet anywhere on the planet. Spectrum physics and the cost for rural Spain temper the enthusiasm.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Starlink wants direct-to-cell internet: will the promise or the physics prevail?
The announcement is striking: a single Starlink account would cover the home antenna, with Wi-Fi, and the mobile phone via satellite, with no middlemen. The slogan promises high-definition video in the middle of the Kalahari, in the wilderness, in any corner of the planet. It sounds like a commercial utopia; engineering calculations bluntly shake that idea.
The physics argument is not a minor one. A satellite orbiting at around 20,000 kilometres cannot replicate the terrestrial microcell model: that is the key. Mobile networks work because they reuse the same frequency bands in tiny cells, multiplying capacity. A satellite covering an entire country lacks that trick; and using very high frequencies would require electronics and power amplifiers that today's phones simply do not carry.
The promise, however, has an obvious economic opportunity: rural Spain, the so-called "España vaciada" (emptied Spain). Current coverage is poor across large areas; anyone who signs up could bring broadband where it never reached. The question is at what price. If the cost skyrockets, the slogan remains just a promotional video.
One reasonable doubt remains: will this be the first major battle where the marketing of a satellite constellation crashes against the radio spectrum?
The announcement is striking: a single Starlink account would cover the home antenna, with Wi-Fi, and the mobile phone via satellite, with no middlemen. The slogan promises high-definition video in the middle of the Kalahari, in the wilderness, in any corner of the planet. It sounds like a commercial utopia; engineering calculations bluntly shake that idea.
The physics argument is not a minor one. A satellite orbiting at around 20,000 kilometres cannot replicate the terrestrial microcell model: that is the key. Mobile networks work because they reuse the same frequency bands in tiny cells, multiplying capacity. A satellite covering an entire country lacks that trick; and using very high frequencies would require electronics and power amplifiers that today's phones simply do not carry.
The promise, however, has an obvious economic opportunity: rural Spain, the so-called "España vaciada" (emptied Spain). Current coverage is poor across large areas; anyone who signs up could bring broadband where it never reached. The question is at what price. If the cost skyrockets, the slogan remains just a promotional video.
One reasonable doubt remains: will this be the first major battle where the marketing of a satellite constellation crashes against the radio spectrum?
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (12 replies).
More summaries
-
Repopulating Spain's 'Empty Spain': 20 Years for a Village to Accept You
Buying a house in a depopulated Spanish village isn't enough: bureaucracy, neighborly mistrust, and boundary disputes hinder repopulation.
-
The illusion of cheap homes in emptied-out Spain
Houses for 10,000 euros in villages in Albacete or Murcia, but with 80,000-euro renovations. Is emptied-out Spain a solution for young people or a trap?
-
Flats from €20,000: the race to be Spain's 'bubble town'
Ferrol, Eibar and Bembibre compete as cheap municipalities for property investment, with flats from €20,000 and the announcement of an MG plant in Ferrol.
-
Spain's Government pays Christmas bonus before elections
Spain disburses the Christmas bonus for civil servants and pensioners just hours before voting, according to forum calculations.
-
Spain's 'adults only' boom spreads to housing: why?
From hotels to rental flats: the adults-only trend is spreading. Business freedom or discrimination against families? An economic analysis of the hostility…
-
UBS report shows the middle class is shrinking worldwide
The UBS report reveals that median wealth is falling in Spain, the US, Germany and the UK while average wealth rises. The Cantillon effect and housing are key to the…