Starlink Maritime

[sails_02]

Starlink
"High-speed, low-latency internet with up to 350 Mbps download while at sea"

Coverage below, would be interested to know if this is "intended coverage" because the Covered Now part looks to follow semi arbitrary boundaries in the Atlantic

Source: https://api.starlink.com/public-files/maritime-coverage-map.pdf

 

[st599]

Have they changed the system to allow use from a moving platform? I seem to remember it had to be stationary and hardly moving to maintain a connection.

Also, their charging policy links it to an address - it only works in that continent and if you use it for more than x weeks away from that address, you had to buy a new one.

 

[sailorbenji]

Have they changed the system to allow use from a moving platform? I seem to remember it had to be stationary and hardly moving to maintain a connection.

Also, their charging policy links it to an address - it only works in that continent and if you use it for more than x weeks away from that address, you had to buy a new one.

Many people are using the standard equipment on boats with good success. Some cut into the dish and disconnect the motors, it seems to work fine with the beam-forming capability alone, just pointed straight up. It works even with reasonable success whilst coastal cruising in a seaway.

This "maritime" launch has a $10,000 equipment cost and $5000/month service charge....this is aimed at commercial/semi-commercial application it would seem!

Currently the equipment you get is 2 x of the standard "dishy" - however there's an intriguing note somewhere in the text that mentions subscribers will be eligible to upgrade to something like "flat dish and mounting hardware" at a future date.

 

[sailorbenji]

Starlink
"High-speed, low-latency internet with up to 350 Mbps download while at sea"

Coverage below, would be interested to know if this is "intended coverage" because the Covered Now part looks to follow semi arbitrary boundaries in the Atlantic
View attachment 138183
Source: https://api.starlink.com/public-files/maritime-coverage-map.pdf

The "covered now" is not arbitrary, as in it's not (at least purely) artificially geo-fenced. Word out there says up to around 15NM offshore is fine. Currently, you need to be in a place where their ground-stations are effective, for the offshore and mid-ocean stuff, they need to use inter-satellite lasers to bounce traffic around. This inter-satellite capability was not there when the first batches of satellites were launched, but is now included on all launched satellites. They need to get the constellation large enough with satellites with this capability to offer coverage in these areas.

 

[lustyd]

The coverage is also affected by the places that have approved use of the kit. To set this up they have to get approval and licensing in every jurisdiction which will take many years.