Already covered for Brazil
Interesting update on commercial adventures for satellite internet:
Lift-off occurred on February 27th at 21:37 pm UTC. The six OneWeb satellites separated from the rocket in two batches. Signal acquisition has been confirmed for all six satellites:
from link: OneWeb Makes History as First Launch Mission is Successful
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I get the feeling this is the beginning of something BIG for mobile data users in remote areas…
The idea of selling what is in effect a commodity data product ie TCP/IP data from space, it will have to be price competitive with Terrestrial 4G LTE (which i think works really well), the new, imminent mm-wave and 3.6GHz 5G terrestrial data services and the the new High Throughput TCP/IP data GEO satellite services.
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Streaming Data???
Will this be broadcast data in L-Band?
Can this be utilized as a service on the old version 2 Outernet L-Band receivers?
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No, Iridium is a completely different network. We had previously built our network on top of Inmarsat’s leased capacity, which is different from their BGAN network.
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What are the differences?
L-Band frequency Iridium, i imagine is similar to Inmarsat transmit frequency?
Polarisation?
Modulation? Can we do a different modulation in software?
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Iridium is a non-geostationary constellation, which is much more complicated than a geostationary satellite. They have inter satellite links for handoffs, whereas GEO satellites see the same area continuously. Yes, they use a different frequency. When I looked at leasing capacity from them it was even more than Inmarsat. I’m surprised that pricing for Certus is not lower, since they have so much more capacity now.
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My thinking is assuming this is TRUE One-Way Data streaming then the Iridium ground devices receiving the streaming data WILL NOT be sending back acknowledgement packets to the sending LEO satellite as it moves across the sky.
So I assume the LEO Iridium satellites zoom overhead and basically send out a data streaming as they pass over that is then picked up by a Omni directional L-Band antenna attached to a Iridium GO device or a iridium phone. The antenna DOES NOT AIM at the moving satellite to pick up the streaming Data. I assume The next moving satellite takes over from where the last one left off.
Note Iridium uses. L band in the range from 1621.35 to 1626.5 MHz used for both uplink and downlink
Note. Outernet used 1539.8725 MHz L-band signal as one of its test frequencies.
If this is the case and if it is Right hand polarized l-Band , and the frequency Iridium uses 1616Mhz 1626Mhz is within the Band filter of our old Outernet L-Band receiver, with the Outernet L-band antenna pointed straight up, we should / might be able to pick up the Iridium moving satellite UN-encrypted data casting and decode it using the old Outernet version 2 L-Band receiver as they pass over head.
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@Syed they only fully finished upgrading and activating all of the new satellite on February 5, 2019, Iridium completed the final activation of its new satellite constellation
This notes the satellites SpaceX Starlink "thrusters that run on krypton "
or is it kryptonite ?
Elton’s project is very noteworthy. I’m glad to see his success. My only reservation is what will be the cost of his terrestrial terminals, and subscription costs. Naturally content will be another driver. Ken
It’s less expensive than xenon, ionizes relatively easily (not as well as xenon), but it’s way more plentiful in the atmospher than xenon - about 1ppm vs 87ppb (according to wikipedia)
are there plans for Japan?
I think that there are plans, but i don’t think it will be soon.
In Japan we definitely need to find an importer/reseller.
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For the Dreamcatcher boards?
For the new version, which will be placed in an enclosure.
Understood, is that the “lantern” new version that was posted on IndieGoGo a few days ago? In any case I guess I can help with that.
In all likelihood it will be called Lantern, but that still hasn’t been finalized.