Quote:
Originally Posted by Quoth
Satellite is very cheap for DTH broadcast. It's massively expensive and limited in speed per user, if the service is popular. Lower orbit Satellites only solve the latency issue. Two way satellite is brilliant for emergencies or wilderness. It's pointless even in most of Africa, which already is getting the complementary Mobile and Fibre (Cities).
|
I have lived for months on end via a 4G LTE router when a storm destroyed local cable. It was a bit more expensive but fine for HD video streaming and gaming.
5G doesn't need to be much better than 4G to replace cable. Because 4G is barely good enough. And locally ATT has been installing 5G all over.
The thing is, streaming isn't terrible bandwidth intensive by today's standards.
As for LEO satellite constellations, it's a different technology than you're used to.
Designed expressly for single users.
It is actually lower latency than fiber.
Plus it goes everywhere, including the hinterlands. Which are the places getting the worst treatment from cablecos and Telcos.
The squeeze from 5G and LEOSATs is already starting to constrain the cablecos.
5G is going up in most urban and suburban areas and there are at least three global constellations at varios levels of implementation. STARLINK, ONEWEB, and KUIPER. All with deep pockets to put up the satellites by the thousand.
The lead belongs to SpaceX STARLINK. They have around 200 satelites in pace, with 120 more going up each month. They expect to have initial operation in the southeast US and the Caribbean by June.
Here's a look at their financial prospects:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatsp.../#4da766e1ff87
Here's a tech overview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giQ8xEWjnBs
The consumer side is pizzabox sized that just needs to be aimed up. Alignment is irrelevant because that satelite train will be close enough for automatic link up.
There is no maybe about this.
The US DOD has tested it and found it an improvement for global drone comms and combat aircraft. And because of the number and speed of the LEOSATs (plus the on-orbit redundant backups) the system is ASAT-resistant.
Cable will have a peak speed advantage but the vast majority of consumers, even 8K streamers, don't need peak speed. Gigabit is possible with this tech but not needed for streaming. So the cheapes levels will do. And cordcutting will follow.
One result is that without their regional wiring monopolies, the cablecos will be constrained in how badly they can gouge consumers. In fact, most cablecos are already starting to lift caps and boosting speeds.
Verizon, for one, is doubling FIOS speeds for free, bringing their network to South Korean spec.
https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/veri...-extra-charge/
So is my local cableco.
Cablecos have long been gouging consumers because of their monopoly grip on service but that is changing. Right now.
They won't go away but their blank check pricing will.
Now they need to sing for their supper.
The consequences are rippling all over resulting in, among other things, less LIVE TV income for ViacomCBS.
Hence their scramble for cash.
Basically, the 21st century caught up with their 20th century practices.
The next decade will bring lots of roadkill.
(And Starship hasn't flown yet. But that's a whole different disruption.)