#satellite
First two-way cellphone call made via satellite using an unmodified Galaxy S22 phone and a BlueWalker 3 satellite
AST SpaceMobile claims it is building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible by standard smartphones.
They plan to deliver a global cellular network from space. In a briefing early last year, the company told investors that its network would eventually consist of 168 satellites.
The key differentiator for AST SpaceMobile currently is that the company has facilitated a low-earth satellite connection without needing special software, ground terminals or hardware.
What’s important with this approach is that the change is on the satellite side so that ordinary phones could be used. The Qualcomm chip approach required extra chips in the phone to communicate via the Inmarsat and other satellite networks, which are pretty costly to use.
I’d imagine that access would be like roaming another network, with that network’s cellular rates applying when it is used.
See https://mybroadband.co.za/news/telecoms/489147-first-two-way-cellphone-call-made-via-satellite.html
#Blog, #satellite, #satellitecomms, #technology, #telephony
Amazon Satellite Internet Service
https://cordcuttersnews.com/amazons-home-internet-service-announces-what-speeds-it-will-offer/?amp=1
Amazon targets 2024 for launch of Starlink rival called Project Kuiper: Amazon Shopping will be Global
“We’ll definitely be beta testing with commercial customers in 2024,” Dave Limp, head of Amazon devices, said at a conference in Washington.
The “standard customer terminal”, 11-inch square antennas for the Kuiper network, will cost Amazon less than $400 each to produce and provide Internet speeds of 400Mbit/s for customers, the company said.
Up until now, Starlink has been unable to obtain a communications license to operate over South Africa, but I’m thinking that Amazon will be able to, mainly because it has quite physical presence on the ground in South Africa.
But I’m also wondering what a satellite service means for spying (I’ve not forgotten about the US government’s NSA and AT&T’s collusion on phone spying). Recent rumours also have it the Chinese wanted to spy on undersea Internet cables for the islands around Taiwan. So it is safer to just assume everyone is spying on your communications, and your own government is also not necessarily the “good guy”.
See https://techcentral.co.za/amazon-targets-2024-for-launch-of-starlink-rival/
#Blog, #amazon, #projectkuiper, #satellite, #technology
Satellite Internet packages in South Africa — Speeds and prices compared
South Africans living in rural areas without mobile or fixed network coverage can get Internet access through a satellite broadband provider.
Starlink may have less latency and higher speeds, but it is not yet available in South Africa, and many of these existing services start from around only R710 per month. But note the fair use policies and any contract lock in periods.
See https://mybroadband.co.za/news/broadband/481923-satellite-internet-packages-in-south-africa-speeds-and-prices-compared.html
#Blog, #rural, #satellite, #southafrica, #technology
Wall of Green Lasers Blankets #Sky in #Hawai'i, Likely From Chinese #Satellite
#Daqi-1 was launched last year and serves a similar purpose to #ICESat-2, being designed to #monitor atmospheric #pollution using #lasers.k
Source: https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvm9y5/green-lasers-sky-hawaii-chinese-satellite
#emissions #co2 #Satellite #china #science #usa #news #photo #laser
#Italygate
Italygate is a pro-Trump, #QAnon - affiliated #conspiracy #theory that alleges the 2020 United States presidential #election was rigged to favor Joe #Biden using satellites and #military #technology to remotely switch votes from Donald #Trump to Biden from the U.S. Embassy in #Rome. The conspiracy was also rumored to involve the #Vatican.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italygate
#USA #vote #democracy #politics #fail #Italy #satellite #president
