Using ground relays with Starlink

You don't need inter-satellite links for low latency, as Mark Handley has elegantly pointed out in his incredible video. I don't think internet access will amount to even 50% of the revenue of Starlink. [VIDEO]

I would highly recommend the video linked from this article: [VIDEO] It's a simulation of the various ways in which the Starlink network could be arranged to route between satellites and ground stations; very detailed and super interesting.

This [1] is a good youtube explanation of how a hybrid between Starlink and ground stations could still improve connectivity: [1] [VIDEO]

If you want a really great visualization and latency estimates for starlink check out the models and videos this guy came up with: [LINK] [VIDEO] The comment from the FCC about it not accounting for "processing [&] routing" is kindof nonsense on its face, those are not novel problems they're already done by ever other router and switch, including several other satellite networks.

The orbital planes top parts are all up there at high latitudes. The circle you are seeing is actually made up of several different orbital planes that swoop down toward/past the equator and then up/down to 60 degrees N/S. Seeing them move will make it clearer. Here’s an awesome visual explanation with a ton of other cool info: [VIDEO]

A ground station doesn't have to actually be on the ground. They could park a boat in the ocean between London and NYC with equipment to act as a repeater. This YouTube video (along with others on this channel) does a good job of explaining how this could work. [ [VIDEO] ]

These first satellites don't have the free-space lasers I modelled in that paper, but my simulations show they can still beat fibre on many paths without inter-satellite links, by relaying via groundstations: [VIDEO] Later satellites will have inter-satellite links, but probably not till near the end of this year, and most of the first phase will already be deployed by then.

Elon Musk has stated that until they have inter-satellite laser links deployed, they can get wide area low latency communications by relaying via ground stations at a high slant angle. I built a simulator and ran an analysis of this, and actually it works pretty well. My video analysing all this is here: [VIDEO]