It’s probably the most wasteful way of providing internet imaginable since they have to send satellites up by the dozen every year for them to burn in the atmosphere only several years lates.
Comment on Starlink loses out on $886 million in rural broadband subsidies
Diabolo96@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 months agoIt’s not a scam. Satellite internet was extremely expensive and slow last time I checked a few years before starlink. Yeah , musk is garbage but starlink is actually helping a lot of people worldwide.
Scrof@sopuli.xyz 9 months ago
TheEighthDoctor@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Yet many towns where I live saw broadband, yes, broadband, not fiber, for the first time in their life thanks to Starlink. It’s easy to talk when coming from a place of privilege.
Bo7a@lemmy.ca 9 months ago
I would not be able to live where I am without starlink. There isn’t even cell signal for 14 km…
MotoAsh@lemmy.world 9 months ago
That is NOT a win of starlink but a failure of regular infrastructure. Companies were paid BILLIONS years ago to expand broadband and they didn’t, and faced zero repercussions because politicians and executives work for the same team.
drkt@feddit.dk 9 months ago
Demand more of your local government instead of pulling the privilege card.
netburnr@lemmy.world 9 months ago
The government keeps giving money to traditionally ISPs to expand broadband and they simply lie and say they did to take the money. It’s private industry fucking us just as much.
Oderus@lemmy.world 9 months ago
It’s it really a privilege to live in a city? Sounds more like a choice than privilege. Your choice has consequences and the further you live from the other people, the more problems you’ll have with certain infrastructure like water, power, internet.
Bo7a@lemmy.ca 9 months ago
But I can build my own power and water infra. And I have. I can’t build my own connection to the internet, which I need to have in order to make money to do the rest of what it takes to live.
Diabolo96@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 months ago
If ISPs weren’t greedy bastards that don’t care the slightest about their users and gave everyone fiber then yeah, it’s wasteful. Sadly, for a lot of people in rural and inaccessible areas and on sea, it’s the only way to access internet.
dangblingus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 months ago
Oh no! It’s expensive! Wait. Isn’t he the chairman of a vertically integrated space shuttle and satellite international conglomerate? Why are Americans footing the bill for any of this?
CmdrShepard@lemmy.one 9 months ago
You might go back and reread the comment you replied to. They stated that legacy satellite internet was expensive to the tune of $200/mo for 2mbps speeds and a 20GB monthly data cap.
theodewere@kbin.social 9 months ago
it absolutely is a scam.. you WANT it to not be a scam, but you are incorrect..
TimeSquirrel@kbin.social 9 months ago
I think it's the other way around...you WANT everything he touches to be a scam.
I don't like the guy either, but Starlink is a real, actual product that tons of people are using just fine right now.
theodewere@kbin.social 9 months ago
by trying to go with "i know you are but what am i", you just prove how childish your belief in him is
TimeSquirrel@kbin.social 9 months ago
Actually, failing to address any of my points and just hammering on the "Musk bad" seems childish to me.
Diabolo96@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 months ago
Why would I want it to not be a scam ? I don’t even use it. Years ago, I heard about internet satellite and got curious, so I searched a bit about it and found out it was really expensive. I don’t remember exactly but it was more or less in the 100s of dollars monthly for an abysmal speed like " up to 8mb" or something.
If anyone used internet satellite a few years before starlink was launched please correct me if I am wrong.
Zoboomafoo@lemmy.world 9 months ago
You’re not far off, my parents have a 5gb data cap, about 1-2mbps down, and pings in the 500s.
I don’t know how much they’re charged, but Starlink is cheaper and better in all aspects
rigamarole@lemmy.world 9 months ago
I had a neighbor ask me about my Starlink. They said they had ViaSat and were posting $180 a month for a 2gb data cap with 2-3mb speeds and would have to purchase more for overages. Internet was a requirement because she worked from home. I used to have Hughesnet and they have the same structure.
Yes, Musk sucks, but Starlink has been a game changer for us rural folk.
Diabolo96@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 months ago
So it’s far worse than I remember. Honestly, I can see the 1-2 mb limit be enough very casual use but a 5gb data cap for a month is beyond a joke.
aniki@lemm.ee 9 months ago
Huges internet has categorically been a fucking robbery scheme since inception.
IHadTwoCows@lemm.ee 9 months ago
But he can pay for it.
deletes_their_posts@lemmy.world 9 months ago
otter@lemmy.ca 9 months ago
The FCC decision sounds like a good thing in this case, because Starlink isn’t being managed responsibly
The technology itself is cool, and I hope some other companies can build off that work to meet that need. There are a lot of existing companies that take advantage of those living in rural areas, many of which don’t have other options or much disposable income
deletes_their_posts@lemmy.world 9 months ago
SaltySalamander@kbin.social 9 months ago
*billions
otter@lemmy.ca 9 months ago
We share your pain in Canada with our telecom companies
SCB@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Starlink is currently the only internet functioning for the Ukrainian army.
SupraMario@lemmy.world 9 months ago
ITAR…go look it up. And the UA still uses it for good and so does everyone there, they just cannot use it as a direct weapon. Get off the musk hate dick… it’s clouding you and apparently a bunch of people’s judgement.
Buelldozer@lemmy.today 9 months ago
Like most people on the Internet they don’t want to hear about laws that cause outcomes different than what they want. The Musk hate over UA and StarLink is just another example of it. ITAR has been around a long time and for DAMN good reasons.
SupraMario@lemmy.world 9 months ago
I can’t stand the guy either, but there are way more valid reasons to hate on him than what people love to bitch about.