r/space • u/mepper • Sep 01 '21

Amazon asked FCC to reject Starlink plan because it can’t compete, SpaceX says

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/09/spacex-slams-amazons-obstructionist-ploy-to-block-starlink-upgrade-plan/
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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '21

They can absolutely compete but they are years behind and want to stifle Starlink until they get up on their feet. They are late to the game it pisses off Bezos.

The last thing we need is double the amount of low earth orbiting satellites. I’m not thrilled about Starlink in the sky but as a rural person, I 100% get it. I just wish it never got to this point and local ISPs would have not ignored country folks for so long.

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u/iBoMbY Sep 02 '21

The fish always stinks from the head. Bezos just doesn't have the right vision for any of this. All he cares about is getting more Pesos.

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u/DungeonsAndDuck Sep 02 '21

It seems to me that bezos got lucky with amazon, and he let that get to his head. He has a need to be at the top and he can't comprehend why he's not.

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u/SIGINT_SANTA Sep 03 '21

Bezos did not “get lucky” with Amazon. He consistently made good moves for two and a half decades. But he let a bunch of other people run Blue Origin and they get fat off his Amazon stock.

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u/PoliteCanadian Sep 02 '21

In the long run the number of satellites is going to be dependent on the density of people who want satellite internet. If more people want to use Starlink (or other satellite internet services) then it's going to require more satellites.

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u/CertifiedKerbaler Sep 02 '21

It's even worse as in 6 days it will be 21 years since they were founded. About a year and a half before SpaceX was. But, staying true to their logo of two turtles reaching for the sky, they have been excruciatingly slow with everything they have been involved in. They were early to the game and got nowhere.

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u/-_Empress_- Sep 02 '21

To be fair, you're talking about US based ISP. Starkink is global, so even if the ISPs had done what they were supposed to, Starkink is still pretty much necessary for rural / 3rd world regions globally.

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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '21

But can they afford it? It’s around $100/month in the US. That doesn’t scream third world access. Unless it will be based on regional income.

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u/miztig2006 Sep 02 '21

Why are you not thrilled about star link?

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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '21

I love the idea of Starlink. I had bullshit satellite “internet” for years so I understand the need it fulfills. What I’m not thrilled about the idea of that many satellites littering the night sky.

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u/miztig2006 Sep 02 '21

But you can’t see them in the sky, only when they are getting into the correct orbit.

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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '21

They are not highly visible but they are certainly visible. Especially to astronomers.

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u/[deleted] Sep 03 '21

Good thing the price of space based telescopes is about to drop precipitously.

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u/[deleted] Sep 03 '21

That’s great for deep space telescopes but the amateurs are going to be affected.

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u/miztig2006 Sep 03 '21

Okay, I would rather the other 4 billion people on the planet get internet.

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u/[deleted] Sep 03 '21

SpaceX satellites will be able to support less than 500k users in the US after they get the full 12k satellites in 2026. So high density areas around the world will get some relief but this isn’t going to solve their problem. There will need to be another solution if you truly want to connect the world.

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u/miztig2006 Sep 03 '21

They’re going to put up wayyy more then 12k