Latest news with #JonathanMcDowell
CNET
a day ago
- Business
- CNET
Despite Starlink's Improved Speeds, It Still Misses the FCC's Broadband Standard
Starlink is nearly twice as fast as it was two years ago, according to a recent report from the speed test site Ookla. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) Median download speeds from the satellite internet provider have steadily ticked up over the past few years, going from 53.95 megabits per second in 2022 to 104.71Mbps today. That's an impressive feat considering Starlink added about 5 million customers over the same period and recently passed the 6 million mark globally. However, according to Ookla's data, only 17.4% of Starlink customers are getting internet speeds that meet the FCC's definition of minimum broadband speeds: 100Mbps download and 20Mbps upload. Ookla "The fact that Starlink's median download speeds nearly doubled from Q3 2022 until Q1 2025 is definitely a notable and impressive development," Sue Marek, editorial director at Ookla, told CNET. "It indicates that their ongoing efforts to expand their satellite constellation's capacity is making a difference." Starlink accomplished that by drastically increasing its capacity. At the beginning of 2022, the company had about 1,761 satellites in orbit; today, that number stands at 7,607, according to Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer who maintains a catalog of space objects. SpaceX, the company that owns Starlink, has said it eventually hopes to have as many as 42,000 satellites in space. It's going to need them. Recent changes to the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program could funnel as much as $20 billion in government subsidies to Starlink for providing internet in rural areas. But many industry experts are skeptical that Starlink can add millions of new customers without sacrificing speed. Locating local internet providers That's a reasonable concern. While most subscribers are meeting the 100Mbps download speed threshold, Starlink's median upload speeds are just 14.84Mbps, falling short of the FCC's broadband definition, which ISPs must meet to receive BEAD money. Latency, or the time it takes data to get from your computer to where it's going, is also on the high side -- 45 milliseconds (ms) compared to 12ms for the country as a whole; CNET recommends around 50ms or lower for activities like online gaming. In October 2024, Maine began offering free Starlink dishes to residents in its 'hardest-to-reach locations.' I asked Brian Allenby, the senior director with the Maine Connectivity Authority, if he was concerned about Starlink hitting that 100/20Mbps benchmark in a previous interview. "We have a very granular level of reporting through the Starlink portal, and it has all been compliant," Allenby said. "So we don't have immediate concerns about that." A representative for Starlink didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. States that qualify for a free Starlink dish had higher speeds The Starlink experience can vary dramatically depending on where you live. Recently, the company instituted a "demand fee" of $500 in the Pacific Northwest to combat congestion in high-use areas. In other states with more capacity, it's giving customers the $349 satellite dish for free. Ookla examined the areas where Starlink is offering free equipment and found that all of them, except West Texas and Alaska, had median download speeds over 100Mbps. South Dakota, Rhode Island and Wyoming had the highest percentage of customers meeting the 100/20Mbps benchmark, while Alaska, Mississippi and Louisiana had the lowest.
UPI
2 days ago
- Science
- UPI
SpaceX launches 24 satellites to polar areas to boost internet access
1 of 2 | SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Saturday night from Vandenberg Space Force Base near Lompoc, Calif. Photo courtesy of SpaceX July 27 (UPI) -- SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Saturday night from Vandenberg Space Force Base near Lompoc, Calif. The mission put 24 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. It will deploy the satellites into a polar orbit to boost internet service in polar regions. The Starlink 17-2 mission launched from Space Launch Complex 4 East at 9:31 p.m. PDT. The Falcon 9 ship with tail number B1075 took its 19th trip to space, including 16 Starlink missions. About 8 1/2 minutes after liftoff, the ship landed on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You," in the Pacific Ocean. It was the 142nd landing for this vessel and the 481st booster landing for SpaceX. There are more than 8,000 Starlink satellites in orbit, according to astronomer Jonathan McDowell. On Thursday, Starlink users reported a rare full network outage of internet service. It began at 4 p.m. About 2 1/2 hours later, SpaceX announced most service had been restored. Then, 1 1/2 hours later, full service was back, Starlink reported.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites days after service outage
July 26 (UPI) -- SpaceX early Saturday launched another 28 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from Florida, days after a short service outage hit the space-based internet provider. The Falcon 9 lifted off at 5:01 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Pad 40. The first-stage booster launched for the 22nd time, including Crew-6 and 17 previous Starlink missions. About 8 minutes after liftoff, the booster landed on "A Shortfall of Gravitas" drone ship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. It was the 119th touchdown on the droneship and the 480th to date for SpaceX in Florida and California. This year, it was the 91st Falcon 9 launch, according to SpaceFlight Now. There are more than 8,000 Starlink satellites in orbit, according to astronomer Jonathan McDowell. On Thursday, Starlink users reported a rare full network outage of internet service. It began at 4 p.m. About 2 1/2 hours later, SpaceX announced most service had been restored. Then, 1 1/2 hours later, full service was back, Starlink reported. "The outage was due to failure of key internal software services that operate the core network," Michael Nicholls, vice president of Starlink Engineering at SpaceX wrote on X. "We apologize for the temporary disruption in our service; we are deeply committed to providing a highly reliable network, and will fully root cause this issue and ensure it does not occur again." There are more than 6 million Starlink customers worldwide, including 2 million in the United States after debuting in 2021. The next SpaceX launch is scheduled for 8:55 p.m. PDT Saturday from Vandenbrug Space Force Station's Pad 4E in California. An additional 24 Starlink satellites are scheduled for deployment.
UPI
3 days ago
- Science
- UPI
SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites days after service outage
SpaceX launched another 28 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from Florida at 5:01 a.m. EDT Saturday. Photo by SpaceX/X July 26 (UPI) -- SpaceX early Saturday launched another 28 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from Florida, days after a short service outage hit the space-based internet provider. The Falcon 9 lifted off at 5:01 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Pad 40. The first-stage booster launched for the 22nd time, including Crew-6 and 17 previous Starlink missions. Watch Falcon 9 launch 28 @Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 26, 2025 About 8 minutes after liftoff, the booster landed on "A Shortfall of Gravitas" drone ship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. It was the 119th touchdown on the droneship and the 480th to date for SpaceX in Florida and California. This year, it was the 91st Falcon 9 launch, according to SpaceFlight Now. There are more than 8,000 Starlink satellites in orbit, according to astronomer Jonathan McDowell. On Thursday, Starlink users reported a rare full network outage of internet service. It began at 4 p.m. About 2 1/2 hours later, SpaceX announced most service had been restored. Then, 1 1/2 hours later, full service was back, Starlink reported. "The outage was due to failure of key internal software services that operate the core network," Michael Nicholls, vice president of Starlink Engineering at SpaceX wrote on X. "We apologize for the temporary disruption in our service; we are deeply committed to providing a highly reliable network, and will fully root cause this issue and ensure it does not occur again." There are more than 6 million Starlink customers worldwide, including 2 million in the United States after debuting in 2021. The next SpaceX launch is scheduled for 8:55 p.m. PDT Saturday from Vandenbrug Space Force Station's Pad 4E in California. An additional 24 Starlink satellites are scheduled for deployment.
News18
17-07-2025
- Science
- News18
China's Mystery Satellite Shiyan-28B 01 Suddenly 'Woke Up' After 6 Days. What This Means
Last Updated: Doubts persist over China's intentions as Shiyan satellites, though said to study space, are speculated by experts to have hidden military purposes due to their secretive nature The world was left in astonishment when China's mysterious satellite, Shiyan-28B 01, unexpectedly 'woke up' in orbit after six days of 'silence'. Launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center on July 3, the satellite initially went undetected by any space tracking systems, despite standard protocol where satellites typically become traceable within 24 to 48 hours of launch. The satellite finally resurfaced on July 9 when the Space Force's Space Domain Awareness Unit in the United States identified it in an orbit of 794 × 796 kilometres with an inclination of only 11 degrees. This was a significant deviation from its expected inclination of 35 degrees at launch. The rocket carrying the satellite altered its trajectory thrice, reducing the inclination, a highly unusual manoeuvre. What Makes This Orbit Unusual? Space expert Jonathan McDowell noted that China has never utilised an orbit with such a low inclination before. This orbit directly traverses the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, suggesting that its purpose might extend beyond 'technology testing' to potential surveillance or strategic objectives. Notably, two Chinese satellites recently executed a special docking operation involving orbital refuelling, a technology that can prolong a satellite's operational life and sustain military surveillance. NASA Also Watching Closely The US space agency NASA is closely monitoring the activities of this satellite. China's burgeoning space capabilities and covert missions are raising concerns globally. In addition to its plans to send samples to the Moon and Mars, China is also disrupting the global equilibrium with its clandestine actions in orbit. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
