Outernet - interesting concept

[GGD]

Paul F. wrote:
You keep focusing on "WiFi"....

Only because that's what these articles describe it as.

[Paul F.]

GGD wrote:
[quote=Paul F.]
You keep focusing on "WiFi"....

Only because that's what these articles describe it as.
Articles written by journalists who probably can't save a document 1/3 of the time....
We're smarter than that... It's not "wifi".. One MIGHT describe it as "a little like WiFi". Maybe.

[GGD]

Paul F. wrote:
[quote=GGD]
[quote=Paul F.]
You keep focusing on "WiFi"....

Only because that's what these articles describe it as.
Articles written by journalists who probably can't save a document 1/3 of the time....
We're smarter than that... It's not "wifi".. One MIGHT describe it as "a little like WiFi". Maybe.
It really sounds like it's one-way broadcasting, not really like the web, more like changing channels on at TV. I'm not really sure what sort of problem this is a solution to, except maybe censorship as the article states, but then again, who controls what content gets broadcast in the first place, might become more like propaganda. And how will it be funded? Advertisements is my guess.

Each cubesat receives data from a network of ground stations around the world and transmits this information on a loop until new information is received. This means using the Outernet will be more like watching a program broadcast on TV, though Outernet users will build a priority list for the information they want and make suggestions for new content.

[Bill in NC]

latency/lag is a big problem w/ existing satellite internet

would these new cubesats operate at a low enough altitude to mitigate that problem?

[cbelt3]

Bill in NC wrote:
latency/lag is a big problem w/ existing satellite internet

would these new cubesats operate at a low enough altitude to mitigate that problem?

Yes and no. The inter-satellite communication latency can be an issue. The downlink latency is 100-300 KM vs. 36,000 KM, so about 20ms vs. 300 ms. But intersatellite distance may vary... making it work would require quite a mesh.

The other worry I always have is... here is another company that wants to fill the damn LEO with more crap.

Pretty soon we'll look like this:

[GGD]

Bill in NC wrote:
latency/lag is a big problem w/ existing satellite internet

would these new cubesats operate at a low enough altitude to mitigate that problem?

Latency / lag are only issues with two-way communication, the description of this as far as I can tell is one-way (space down to users on earth). Lag would only exist in if those users had some way to send commands to it and wait for a reaction.

Or you could say it had tremendous lag based on this statement, kind of like the lag involved in dropping a note in a suggestion box.

though Outernet users will build a priority list for the information they want and make suggestions for new content.