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by _xerxes_
2367 days ago
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While from the articles Lynk is doing interesting and perhaps technically impressive work, I think they are going to struggle with competing with the deep pockets of the likes SpaceX, OneWeb, Blue Origin and now Apple and others. I see from the articles linked and their site that their business model is different, but I doubt they could sell enough service to cover the cost of launching and maintaining their own constellation. Their best hope (and plan) might be to get absorbed by one of the bigger players. It is hard to compete against a well-funded company that makes its own rockets and payloads and has access to hundreds of experienced engineers in their own and sister companies. I am not even that convinced that Lynk's idea would work from a technological point of view. A quick look at Wikipedia states that:
"A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an Earth-centered orbit with an altitude of 2,000 km (1,200 mi) " I don't think you're getting a cell-signal to remain above the noise threshold/detectable level that far, especially under unfavorable atmospheric conditions. Yes, the satellite could have some impressive high-gain antenna, but the average cell phone is not going to transmit enough power to go more than 50 miles, let alone over a 1000. I'd genuinely love to see some data that contradicts me as I find the concept intriguing. |
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What makes their technology impressive is the ability to work beyond the usual ~20 mile limit without modifying user hardware.
A good article:
"For example, a standard cell phone connected to a terrestrial tower generally has a range limited to around 35 kilometers (21 miles) if the line-of-sight is not interrupted by hills, buildings, or foliage. The phone signal can travel further, but the reception range is artificially limited by the highly accurate time frames of the cell phone protocol.
To get the phone to connect to a satellite flying 500 kilometers (310 miles) overhead, Lynk’s software at the satellite overcomes the built-in time-frame distance limit built into standard phone protocols." http://www.satmagazine.com/story.php?number=1127710956