http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2017/05/04/spacex-to-start-launching-4000-plus-broadband-internet-satellites-in-2019.html
SpaceX to start launching 4,000-plus broadband internet satellites in 2019
Published May 04, 2017
Detailed within a recent Federal Communications Commission filing, Elon Musk's
SpaceX wants to start launching thousands of internet-providing satellites
during 2019. Structured in multiple phases through 2024, the 4,425 satellites
would use advanced mesh networking to offer high-speed broadband services in
rural areas that still have to rely on dial-up or simply don't have access to
any internet service options.
SpaceX is currently planning on launching the first prototype of the
broadband-providing satellite into space by the end of 2017 and a second
prototype during early 2018. If successful, satellites will be launched in
batches over the next decade. The company is projecting a $30 billion revenue
stream from the satellite network by 2030 and may increase the total number of
satellites orbiting in space by an additional 7,500, if approved by the
government.
This broadband distribution strategy is the opposite of what other internet
service providers are pursuing. Companies like Comcast and Time Warner have to
invest heavily in fiber cable installation, which involves navigating property
rights as well as digging trenches to install miles of fiber-optic cable. Of
course, SpaceX will have infrastructure costs on the ground, specifically to
help manage broadband resources in areas of high congestion.
The largest hurdle for SpaceX will likely be related to latency between the
satellite network in space and the end user on the ground. It's possible that
internet speeds simply won't compare to high-speed fiber connections. However,
expanding into markets that don't have any access to broadband internet service
may force competitors to also push into those markets,which would be ideal for
consumers in those rural areas.
SpaceX isn't the only company investing in satellites that provide broadband
services. Boeing has launched a satellite broadband project, which may attract
an investment from tech giant Apple. Four years ago, Google launched Project
Loon. That venture utilizes a balloon-based broadband network hovering in the
stratosphere to provide much-needed internet service to remote areas of the
world.
