[cronin101]

Starlink is only an extra ~10% of the Earth radius at orbit height, but optic cables slow light by ~30%. So it's actually counterintuitive but "could" be just as fast. (Depending on how far you need to send data, it will regress for intra nation but will theoretically improve long distance communication).

[jagrsw]

What's the theoretical max bandwidth in LEO's near-vacuum? Could we use a wide 1GHz-1THz channel for directional beams to hit 1Tbps, given a decent SNR?

Cosmic dust and H atoms seem like non-issues for 1000km links? Would power or thermal reqs be an issue here?

I understand it's only about satellite-to-satellite, but still it's interesting.

[sidewndr46]

You're missing the fact that Starlink doesn't take your traffic to the destination. It takes to a nearby downlink station. Then it goes on those same optic cables to the destination.

[dotnet00]

It can take your data to the destination via inter-satellite laser links. That's how they offer service over water and near/at the poles, where downlink stations are not in line of sight for the satellites.

[sidewndr46]

"can take your data" is not the same as thing as "takes the shortest path". There is no way that Starlink is using precious inter-satellite capacity when your data can go direct to a downlink station and transit on dirt cheap fiber

[dotnet00]

No one's saying they are, the point was that they're capable of it.

[gbil]

Seems that they operate in various altitudes but taking your approximation of 10% of the earth radius, that is 10% + 10% as the signal needs to travel to and from the satellite to the ground, that increases the total distance travelled