Google is talking to Musk about some aspect of this (joint venture?) and seems to be close to putting one BILLION dollars into the plan. Google, with in last week, had EU "congress" tell it to divide itself - split off the search part from other parts.They may just get their wish, but be very unhappy with it, if a new internet distribution system kills the old. i.e. you pay Google and Musk to down load text, music, videos, etc. a decade from now.
Not mentioned in anything I've read, but part of the system, might be solar powered, flying electronic drones that server as repeaters for weak signals leaving the ground. They could have high-gain antennae that track the satellite as it passes overhead, making this cost and complexity unnecessary for the user on the ground, who then needs only a small wire "whip" antenna. Hey Musk if you like my idea, I would not refuse to pick up a free Tesla* at the factory and assign all patent right to you, but act within a year, as this public disclosure make patent impossible more than a year from now. *It can be one that got dented - I'm not fussy about looks.
We made a mistake on this with satellite phones. We designed a satellite phone intended to allow everyone in every country to get phone service. Launched satellites, built the phones, everything. It was a great phone. But by the time it hit the market, cellphone service was in so many places that the demand was much lower than expected. Thus even if his system has technological merit, rapid deployment of cheap ground-based wireless internet systems may beat him to market.
Yes. I remember it. I was named after an element; not sure I remember why but think it was the atomic number equal to the number of satellites planned. Unfortunately it was bulky - more than a foot long and about 4 inch square in cross section as I recall. I was none-the-less impressed it could work direct to satellite - why I made post three suggestion. As most places where small cell phones came to be common, already had land-line telephones, I don't think they killed it - I was just too big and expensive for too small a market. That cheap per user, pretty much means in urban and denser suburbs now, I think. I don't know, so ask: Does your cell phone have continuous connectivity even in the dense populated Washington to NYC express ways (I-95)? Also Google, with a billion invested in Musk's system, may limit or charge for searches in the old internet and offer them free in the new one. Hard to tell how economically viable Mush/ Google internet is, but I think my post 3 suggestion is essential for it to be economically viable. I'm not expecting to get free a dented tesla, as they surely thought of that "intermediate drone relay" long go.
That's Iridium. We were Globalstar - smaller, cheaper, higher data rates. In my experience, yes. (Keep in mind that any satellite data system won't work well in that environment due to frequent blockage by buildings, overpasses, tunnels etc.)
BTW, Musk settled out of court his law suit, congressional request activity etc. with the air force. They have agreed to certify his rockets as "qualified" and SpaceX can now bid on DoD contracts for putting military objects into space. As I understand the agreement, the DoD is stating that SpaceX will be quickly certified and WILL get a "slice of the contract pie."
