 dru
join:2000-09-14
Corona, CA | reply to boogie74
Re: Down with SBC! said by boogie74:
Attitudes such as this caused people to doubt that a telephone would be invented, a radio invented, the lightbulb, refrigeration, high speed automobiles, airplanes, the space shuttle, etc...
Boogie74
Satellite "blows" because of a physical reality called "Speed of Light"; it takes too long to transmit packets up and back some 25,000 miles each way using geo-synchronous satellites, and adds up to serious latency that plagues its practical use for many internet applications. Both two-way and one-way satellite systems suffer from this limitation imposed by physics. Companies have focused on some clever software to mask the effects as much as possible, but in the end, satellite suffers significant technical and economic barriers here that are not likely to be solved any time soon.
If or when someone breaks the light-speed barrier, the breakthrough will be likely be far more significant to humankind and involved with a much loftier first application than just faster or cheaper internet access. Let's get real. In the mean time, "subspace" and "warp speed" and real-time communication over vast distances remains the fantasy of Star Trek fans.
Near Earth or low orbit satellites, as well as Angel planes, balloons, etc have been suggested to combat this problem, but for right now the current economic climate along with the failure of significant pioneers to date suggest that these designs and plans will sit on the shelf for a few years.
I'm all for pioneering spirit; throughout history, the more severe the challenge the more inventive the solution is that solve it. Unfortunately, you can also tell who the pioneers are by the arrows in their back. Iridium failed, wireless, satellite, and high-flying airplane initiatives are failing or running out of venture capital.
In the end, I suspect that existing ILEC and Cable companies will see evolutionary and economic changes in technology that make fiber to the home or business become practical before esoteric orbiting solutions become economically viable and developed to the point where they are serious alternatives. |
