Page 60 - SAMENA Trends - November 2020

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Spacex's Starlink Satellite-Internet Service Provides Rapid Speeds of 175

Mbps

SpaceX's Starlink satellite-internet service gives users rapid they had dozens of devices on their home network, including six
speeds reaching 175 Mbps even in high-speed winds, deep laptops, six smart phones, three Xboxes, two tablets and one PC.
snow, and freezing temperatures. Users of SpaceX's "Better They said they haven't noticed any speed variations since the
Than Nothing Beta" test have posted pictures and videos on snow started. But there are reports of the internet service slowing
the Reddit Starlink community proving that the Starlink terminal down when heavy snow begins to fall on top of the terminal. One
still works in extreme weather conditions – and in some cases, user, also in northern US, weighted down their Starlink tripod on
it's even faster. The terminal – or "UFO on a stick" – comes as their outside table before a 50 mph snow storm set in. The snow
part of the Starlink kit, which also includes a tripod and a WiFi reached to three inches in around an hour, and the Starlink app
router costing $499, plus $99 for the monthly subscription. In showed "poor connection," they reported. The user told Business
an email on October 26, SpaceX said users of the public beta Insider that download speeds ini tally dropped to around 20 to 30
test – a network of nearly 900 satellites beaming the internet Mbps and upload speeds fell to 3 to 4 Mbps. "Definitely had some
service down to Earth – should expect between 50 and 150 Mbps higher latency and slower speeds when [snow] was coming down
download speeds. From what users have reported online in the hard, building up on the dish, and winds were blowing, but quickly
past week, it seems the Starlink internet service isn't significantly picked back up as it slowed down." "I've still been averaging
impacted by the wet and windy weather. Users cannot reveal around 100 [Mbps] download and 15 [Mbps] upload," they said.
their identity due to a non-disclosure agreement they signed with "It's going to be a dream for those folks in the middle of nowhere
SpaceX upon receiving the kit. One user, who lives in northern that don't currently have any options," they added. The user posted
US, told Business Insider on Monday that their Starlink internet on Reddit that he'd prefer to mount the terminal on the roof, but
speed averages 20 Mbps faster in the colder air at 12 degrees said he didn't know if he would trust it with the winds in Montana.
fahrenheit. "I've been getting about 175 Mbps download average Despite concerns about the Starlink terminal surviving strong
this morning, whereas it has been around 150-160 before," they winds, one user put the Starlink terminal to the ultimate test and
said. Almost all users who reported November speeds on a list blasted it with a 175 mph leaf-blower. Download speeds remained
compiled by Reddit's Starlink community said they were getting between 110 and 120 Mbps, according to speed tests that the user
download speeds faster than 150 Mbps. The fastest download carried out before and after their experiment. The user found that if
speed so far is 208.63 Mbps, recorded in Seattle. The user also winds are blowing at the terminal, it automatically adjusts to stay
posted six thermal imaging pictures which showed the terminal's aligned with the satellite. All four reports come from northern US,
surface ranging from 32 to 40 degrees, meaning the terminal where Musk's company has begun testing the service, as well as
melts the snow that lands on it. Another Reddit user posted a in southern Canada. In October, SpaceX agreed to provide internet
video of them measuring the temperature outside with a Starlink in a Texas school district via its Starlink network of satellites –
terminal positioned on their roof. The thermometer read between the first time that SpaceX's Starlink is being offered in southern
24.5 and 39.3 degrees fahrenheit outside, but the terminal was US. Starting early 2021, the space company will initially supply
"warming up enough to keep the four inches of snow off," the user its satellite internet to 45 families who do not have broadband
said in the video. The user told Business Insider on Tuesday that access, and an additional 90 families later on.

China Successfully Sends World’s First 6G Satellite into Orbit

The rollout of 5G networks is nowhere near complete, but China is
already looking ahead to what comes next. The Asian power this
week successfully launched the world’s first 6G satellite into space
to test the technology. The experimental satellite containing sixth-
generation telecommunications technology was launched into
Earth’s orbit from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in China’s
northern Shanxi Province on Friday. The satellite was ferried to space
along with 12 other satellites on board a Long March 6 carrier rocket.
The cutting-edge satellite is named after the University of Electronic
Science and Technology of China. It will be used to verify the
performance of the 6G frequency band in space. While 6G technology
is believed to still be in its infancy, it is expected to be over 100 times
faster than 5G. The satellite also carries an optical remote sensing
system that can monitor for crop disasters, and prevent flooding and
forest fires.

60 NOVEMBER 2020