> Dishy is the first phased array antenna widely available to consumers, as far as I know.
Dishy is the first phased array antenna that was willing to take a huge loss on each sale to consumers. This goes back to the point of getting VC and FCC money to subsidize the service. The estimated cost of the dish is still $1100-$2000 since SpaceX doesn't have any phased array technology that's proprietary, so at $500 they're taking a loss.
> Starlink is the first low orbit massive satellite constellation
Massive is a property of the launch cadence and not anything specific to the satellites.
> The older geostationary communication satellites are a distinctly different system.
What is different about the satellites compared to something like Iridium, O3b, Intelsat, etc?
Flat pack design for one. Cheaper propulsion. Laser links for truly global coverage. Massively lower price per bit. Around $1 per GB (comparable to Jetpack like plans for 4G servics) for the most expensive public Best effort plan
There's no FCC subsidy for it. And the fact it's still running means it wasn't necessary for deployment. It will just make profits come faster. Or losses stop faster
The loss on the phased arrays is much bigger since there was a commitment to $2400 for the first million.(Ukraine is a big source of losses if the Feds haven't fully paid up)
Flat design is irrelevant and is not a differentiator. Cheaper propulsion is speculation unless you have data to prove otherwise.
ISL has been around for a long time (see iridium). SpaceX achieved higher rates, though.
They won $900M in RDOF funding (based on a lie), which is still in limbo because of the poor performance. It's likely they will still get some or all of that since not all $900M was tied to the same speed tier. There is absolutely no proof this can be sustained forever, just like there isn't for Uber or Lyft not being profitable.
Other phased arrays with their specs do not sell for much more. They're small, low G/T, low EIRP, "cheap" units.
I remember looking for a Ku Band Phased array for a large drone. Cheapest I could find from a reputable company was $16k.
Kymeta dishes in Ukraine that replaced starlink go for $25k minimum
Not one dime of RDOF was paid. And knowing how the last RDOF equivalent worked they had every right to apply and get awarded (delivery is dubious though except in less densely populated areas). They don't seem to fake speed tests too unlike the US Telco they are partnering with for direct to cell.
The flat design means way more sats per launch. And that means you're mass rather than volume limited. It's a big difference maker since theres no central stand. Check out the SpaceX OneWeb launch as a comparison.
Iridium links are microwave. SpaceX is a laser. The tech is licensed. It's not just bit rate. And I don't think you can do 10 to 20 up on Iridium. is it possible? Is it possible at say Viasat Maritime prices? Iridium to carry drone video and/or Netflix at $10k to $20k p/m?
Is it financially viable? Time will tell. Some space economist claims SpaceX twisted the arm of the Feds for over a billion in Ukraine. I don't believe him
The fact that I can get a 210+ Mbps bandwidth[1] for a monthly cost comparable to the cheapest alternative ISP available to me (which forces 10 Mbps cap on me)?
How much would it cost to blast that speed for 24 hours on Iridium? Trick question, Iridium is "176 Kbps to 704 Kbps"!
[1]: Just ran a speed test for that number, it's actual not theoretical.
Dishy is the first phased array antenna that was willing to take a huge loss on each sale to consumers. This goes back to the point of getting VC and FCC money to subsidize the service. The estimated cost of the dish is still $1100-$2000 since SpaceX doesn't have any phased array technology that's proprietary, so at $500 they're taking a loss.
> Starlink is the first low orbit massive satellite constellation
Massive is a property of the launch cadence and not anything specific to the satellites.
> The older geostationary communication satellites are a distinctly different system.
What is different about the satellites compared to something like Iridium, O3b, Intelsat, etc?