Reader TTS

“I think most services perform well over a 100 Mbps-plus download and 20 Mbps upload network. We design services around that,” Cisco’s Beesley says. However, in households with multiple

users online and more smart home devices like web cams, “obviously more is better.”  A Starlink receiver sits atop a house Jan. 28, 2023, in Kurdistan, Iran. The dishes have been smuggled in

so families can get reliable internet service. MIDDLE EAST IMAGES /AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES A DIFFERENT KIND OF SATELLITE OFFERS ALTERNATIVE The challenge of bringing broadband to the boonies

has made the market receptive to new technologies. The most prominent now is small low-earth-orbit satellites to relay internet connections. The first such service is called Starlink,

launched by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, and made famous for its use in Ukraine in the war against Russia.  Starlink eventually will use a constellation of thousands of satellites to bring internet

service to remote locations around the world with speeds of 300 Mbps or better. Unlike a HughesNet or DirecTV satellite, these are not geosynchronous or geostationary satellites, which

typically sit in one spot about 22,000 miles above the planet. Starlink’s smaller satellites orbit 340 miles above the Earth, substantially reducing the signal delay or latency.  By the end

of October 2023, Redmond, Washington-based Starlink had more than 5,000 satellites in orbit, according to independent observers. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets can put up 60 at one time, but

thousands more satellites will be needed to provide complete coverage. Initially, Starlink service focused on southern Canada and the northern United States, but it is rapidly expanding

around the world. Starlink recently announced that it now has 2 million active subscribers and is available on seven continents in more than 60 countries.  HOW LOW-EARTH-ORBIT SERVICE FARED

IN THE COUNTRY During its initial release, I conducted weeks of hands-on testing as part of Starlink’s beta program, and then returned to the service in early 2023 to reassess its

performance. The bottom line: The technology represents a significant improvement over the alternatives, with speeds hundreds of times faster than DSL. I regularly recorded top download

speeds of 200 Mbps. For the first time in a rural Vermont location, email downloaded in a split second, and movies could be streamed without watching a “buffering” icon every few minutes.

Facetime, WebEx and Zoom video meetings also were conducted along with innumerable data-intensive tasks, such as updating a computer operating system and playing games online. They all

worked well with some caveats. Speeds varied widely from about 28 Mbps to 200 Mbps. The low-earth-orbiting satellites move, so Starlink’s dish and software must track them constantly, which

could be one reason for some of the discrepancies. Furthermore, the Starlink connection often would drop for no apparent reason, suddenly interrupting what was until then a perfect Skype

call. Cisco’s Beesley explains that such hiccups are akin to those that occur when you’re on a train and the cellular system has to transfer your phone call from one tower to another as you

travel. “It’s still a minor problem,” he says. “But as the mesh network builds out, the more seamless the hand-off can be.” So as Starlink sends more satellites aloft, the company expects

reliability to improve. In 2022, the FCC approved up to 7,500 Starlink satellites to be launched. However, Starlink initially sought the OK for more than 30,000 satellites despite objections

from competitors that it would lead to more space junk and the possibility of damaged satellites falling to Earth.  UP-FRONT EQUIPMENT COSTS CAN BE EXPENSIVE Starlink’s package costs $599

for its satellite dish and Wi-Fi router, plus shipping and taxes, which puts the total at nearly $700 without monthly service costs, depending on where you live. Basic service is $120 a

month.  Additional plans now include mobile service, useful for recreational vehicle travelers, that costs $150 a month. Many customers will find that price high — and it doesn’t include TV

channels or programming. Starlink is also about to introduce a third-generation package for the same price but promising an improved Wi-Fi router. On the upside, the Starlink system is

relatively simple to set up. Unpack the dish, pop it into its four-legged base, find an open piece of sky to aim at, string the cable to the included Wi-Fi router and turn it on. The dish is

motorized and heated to keep it clear of snow and ice. People who live in wooded, mountainous areas might have a more difficult time finding that open piece of sky so their dish can

discover satellite coverage. HughesNet satellite internet starts at $49.99, and data is capped at 15 gigabytes (GB) a month at the top speed of 15 Mbps. The price increases to $124.99 a

month for 200 GB at a top speed of 25 Mbps. The equipment has to be purchased for $349.98 or leased for $14.99 a month. That’s still expensive without a lot of data. If you watch four

two-hour movies from Netflix in 4K, you’ll exceed the 50 GB limit. Streaming ultra-high-definition video can use up to 7 GB of data an hour, Netflix says. This long-exposure image shows the

trail of a group of Starlink satellites passing Nov. 12, 2023, over Uruguay in South America with part of the Milky Way and Venus, at left, visible. MARIANA SUAREZ / AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

ASTRONOMERS WORRY ABOUT LIGHT POLLUTION Starlink’s plans have generated more controversy, not just from its competitors. The first complaints came from astronomers and amateur stargazers who

pointed out that the light pollution from the low orbiting satellites reflecting sunlight interfered with telescope observations. SpaceX has tried different solutions, including a VisorSat

that uses a black sunshade to reduce light reflection. How effective it has been is still a matter of debate. With thousands more satellites eventually expected to circle in low earth orbit,

Starlink made an arrangement with NASA to avoid future collisions with craft such as the International Space Station. Starlink will automatically maneuver its satellites to avoid any

collisions, NASA will not move its equipment and Starlink will report any planned launches to NASA. Meanwhile, more low earth orbit satellite services are likely: * AMAZON, based in Seattle,

received permission from the FCC in 2020 to launch what it calls Project Kuiper to deliver rural internet access, but it is still in its initial test phase.  * EUTELSAT ONEWEB, based in

London, has recently received approval to roll out service in India.  * TELESAT, based in Ottawa, Ontario, in Canada, has plans to offer similar access and plans to use Musk’s SpaceX rockets

to launch a global service available in 2027.  Ultimately, the low orbiting satellites might resolve the problem of delivering high-speed internet access to less populated areas. The number

of people working remotely during the pandemic and now in hybrid work situations has accelerated the demand for high-speed internet access nationwide. But a challenge remains: Can that

demand lower costs for all who want the faster service they see in cities and suburbs? _John R. Quain is a contributing writer who covers personal autos and vehicle technology. His work also

appears in _The New York Times_ and _PC Magazine_ and on CBS News._