Posted on 01/16/2021 10:31:40 AM PST by BenLurkin
Elon Musk’s ambitious StarLink programme—which envisions a network of satellites beaming internet to every point on earth—challenges this ability of the Russian state to self-isolate its internet at demand. With over 900 satellites already in orbit, StarLink conducted a beta test of its ability to beam internet terrestrially in October last year.
Now, Russia is mulling a fine on citizens who dare to use Musk’s space-beamed internet, as the national Duma view it as a threat to national security, according to a report published in the Russian edition of Popular Mechanics. The fines could range from $135-405 for ordinary users, and go up to $13,500 for legal entities who use Western satellite services to bypass the country’s System of Operational Search Measures. By Russian law, all Russian internet traffic must pass through a Russian communications provider. With non-Russian satellite constellations like StarLink, OneWeb likely to bypass this, the idea is to fine citizens or legal entities who try to use such services.
Russia had also earlier complained about StarLink’s satellite network being “too bright” in the night sky. After similar complaints from astronomers the world, SpaceX started sending satellites with anti-reflective coatings, and even some with a visor that makes it near-invisible to the naked eye.
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These micro-satellites are causing havoc with astronomers.
Wonder how they deal with the latency issue with sats?
The Egyptian “revolution” by which the military took control was facilitated by the Egyptian government simply cutting their one internet link to the outside world. Now, virtually every dictatorship has installed either AI monitoring or a kill switch or both.
Egrefactor to anybody thinking the Russians will save western civilization.
The lower altitude of Starlink’s satellites makes the latency very acceptable and comparable with many broadband services.
Latency is really good compared to traditional sat service.
Thanks for posting.
Lotsa western companies have networks in Russia. AT&T being a big one (and the first).
They just have to pay to play. When all the upstart internet companies make that deal, they can suck cash out of Russians too. Just some of it goes to the oligarchs.
Been wondering if Musk’s private Space X company will one day launch small multichannel privately owned communication satellites linked with secure servers which will allow free speech and communications that at least big tech couldn’t censor.
“Been wondering if Musk’s private Space X company will one day launch small multichannel privately owned communication satellites linked with secure servers which will allow free speech and communications that at least big tech couldn’t censor.”
All of Elon’s recent actions (leaving California) and statements (move from WhatsApp to Signal) indicates a man very frustrated by Big Brotherism, either public or private. StarLink might just get us to where we need to be.
“These micro-satellites are causing havoc with astronomers.”
Not really.
And thank goodness the Egyptians did so. The islamist overthrow was a Facebook fostered Hillary operation. Not just that the Moslem Brotherhood used facebook to organize, Facebook literally created working groups to help them.
I worry about a kill switch like that here though. We may soon be reduced to moving to offshore social media here in America. We will likely need sites, servers, and a delivery system like Musk has to bypass DC interference so we can organize.
I wonder if Big Tech is frightened of Elon Musk’s anti-woke heresy and his domination of SkyNet.
Want.
I doubt they disrupt astronomy. There are already millions of small pieces of matter floating around and orbiting. Governments don’t complain about those. Only about something that threatens their total control over the free exchange of information.
We need to get Musk to create free speech servers, this is a step in the right direction IF we can keep it.
They are going to have to get over it. The future of astronomy is in space anyway. Observing the universe from Earth's surface is difficult due to our atmosphere and light pollution.
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