Those places can get internet from satellites outside of low earth orbit that is simply slower with higher latency.
Comment on We Should Immediately Nationalize SpaceX and Starlink
halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 3 weeks agoStarlink provides service to areas where fiber is impossible. Like the middle of the ocean and actual rural areas where fiber runs could be tens of miles or more between homes. Those are area where no one will build out fiber unless the homeowner is paying for it themselves, the various government programs would never cover those actual rural areas despite what they claim. At best they might cover city outskirts for new infrastructure, where fiber nodes are already relatively close by. They’re never adding fiber to existing rural farms and ranches.
They are not a 1:1 service comparison. You would need to compare It to other satellite providers, and there isn’t a comparison because all of those are dogshit in comparison to Starlink.
There’s a reason it’s as popular as it is so quickly despite satellite internet in general not being new. The low earth satellite constellation means a massive difference in capability compared to conventional geostationary satellites. Multiple second latency, slow downloads nowhere near advertised double digit Mbps speeds, single digit Mbps upload speeds and often monthly data limits as low as 50GB per month are what the conventional satellite providers offer.
Ohmmy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 weeks ago
burgerpocalyse@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
i dont feel the cost and waste of all the rocket launches and debris justifies remote areas having satellite Internet
BagOfHeavyStones@piefed.social 3 weeks ago
I think if you consider the cost to manufacture then bury a fibre optic cable for everyone who lives 10km from a town centre, I think it's still a net positive. It's not great for sure, but amortised over a huge population it's probably the best option we have at this time.
anomnom@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Only short term, long term the repeated rocket launches can’t win out offer a ditch digger.
CybranM@feddit.nu 3 weeks ago
I’m sure digging fiber out in the Amazon rainforest will turn out great
CybranM@feddit.nu 3 weeks ago
I doubt the Ukrainians would agree with you
Ohmmy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 weeks ago
This is a really weird “ends always justify the means” because I could also say it wouldn’t be necessary if Ukraine never gave up their nuclear weapons and how I doubt the Ukrainians would disagree. This is also further impacted by the protection of Starlink by the US military because if it wasn’t an act of war against the US to destroy them, Russia could take down low earth orbit satellites pretty easily.
But none of this is relevant to how Starlink is not an ISP, it is not infrastructure it is a fleeting wasteful service.
CybranM@feddit.nu 3 weeks ago
From what I understand the Ukrainians never had control of the nukes, they didn’t actually have the launch codes to use them.
Regardless, having global access to the internet is great. Ask the people living in remote areas of the Amazon, no chance for them to get fiber, or Africa, or remote islands, or ships/airplanes.
If youre speaking of rural America not needing starlink because fiber is a thing, then you should broaden your horizons