In reply to a post by paulatkinson100:

Hi there,

I have been following the satellite beam patterns and there are still a few holes over the UK so far.

https://satellitemap.space/

Regards

Paul

I’ve just be reading that they’ve launched something like 1035 satellites already, which is impressive in itself, but they’re adding to the constellation at a rate of 60 satellite per launch, with launches planned for every 2 weeks this year. Eventually getting to 12,000 satellites. With a possible later extension to 42,000 satellite. Good heavens above!!!

Cribbed from Wiki...

The initial 12,000 satellites are planned to orbit in three orbital shells:

First: 1,440 in a 550 km (340 mi) altitude shell,
Second: 2,825 Ku-band and Ka-band spectrum satellites at 1,110 km (690 mi),
Third: 7,500 V-band satellites at 340 km (210 mi).

Thats amazing, shame he wont be able to put it back together again !

In reply to a post by Michael_Chare:

Yes you are quite right thank you. There is a teardown video here. Complex electronics which perhaps explains the price.

Some really neat design ideas there. Just looking at the mechanicals alone; the pole azimuth/elevation motors alone have some very useful ideas such as the hollow shaft design so the network/power cable doesn’t snag / wrap itself around the pole. It also doesn’t use linear actuators, which as any farmer with a (modern) fertiliser spreader will tell you are the first (expensive) bits of electro-mechanics to disintegrate....

Quite Tesla-like in their vertical integration and design philosophy.

In reply to a post by boxst:

I signed up with Starlink a while ago but haven’t heard anything. I believe that they are going to trial in the UK some time this year.

(I have FTTP 900/100 in one house and due to sad personal circumstances, spend quite a lot fo time in a different house with 5mb/ADSL or 20mb/4G)

Taking (pre)orders now apparently for mid/late 2021. Just got an email...

Hardware £439
Shipping & Handling £54
Monthly charge £89

Up front charge £89

https://postimg.cc/4KZHwDBk

https://postimg.cc/xJn7f15x

Good luck!

Edited by Michael_Chare (Tue 23-Feb-21 17:01:33)

Got the same email, but the equipment costs and monthly fee are a bit steep for a beta product. I've left it for now, to let someone else have a chance.

In reply to a post by jpm:

Got the same email, but the equipment costs and monthly fee are a bit steep for a beta product. I've left it for now, to let someone else have a chance.

To be fair the constellation is rapidly getting denser, esp. if they follow through with their claims of fortnightly launches of 60 satellites per load. The Starlink proposition may have changed quite dramatically by the time dishy's land in blighty later this year.

There's a lot of farmers and country folks who can only realistically get quite patchy 4G or old fashioned satellite broadband - so even as a beta product they'd probably still be pretty keen.

Time will tell.

In the UK we have relatively cheap broadband which I think is partly due to the competitive nature of the market.

This website showa a world wide comparison FWIW.

Bit apples and oranges that though Michael. Whilst your data is interesting, I don't think it bears much relevance in this sense as it is a global cost comparison of fixed line broadband.

The point of Starlink (at least in my mind within the UK) is where there is no realistic availability of other broadband alternatives that can provide similar levels of throughput or response time.

So comparing it to fixed line is a bit pointless. A better fit is against traditional satellite broadband or possibly fixed wireless if that's available.

Got an email to order, entered my address and apparently it’ll be available in a couple of months. £89 fully refundable deposit.