Financial analysts raise questions about Amazon Leo's launch in South Africa

wingnut771 said:
Whatsapp call:

hello.......1 second.......hello.......both talk at same time..........1 second.......silence why each other wait for the other person to speak......both speak at the same time again......1 second......both agree to say over when they are finished talking.
Click to expand...

That's what international calls used to be like sometimes, lol

But I'm sure it has its uses.
 
Things are moving faster than we knew, here's more (also AI)...



SpaceX successfully [recently] deployed upgraded Starlink satellites using its massive Starship rocket, while scaling up its Direct-to-Cell network to allow standard smartphones to connect directly to satellites without ground towers.

Key Recent Breakthroughs​

  • Starship Integration: Starship completed milestone test flights, successfully deploying next-generation Starlink hardware directly into orbit from the giant spacecraft.
  • Direct-to-Cell Scaling: The Starlink Direct-to-Cell constellation has expanded rapidly, aiming to provide seamless global text, voice, and data coverage to unmodified mobile phones. [1, 2]
  • Next-Gen V3 Satellites: SpaceX prepared its third-generation satellites, which deliver a massive boost in network capacity—over 1 terabit per second of downlink per satellite. [3]
  • Explosive User Growth: Boosted by wider maritime, aviation, and rural adoption, the network reached a massive milestone of over 9 million active global subscribers.

Southern Africa Direct-to-Cell Timeline​

  • Regional Rollout (2026): Starlink partnered with Airtel Africa to launch Direct-to-Cell data and messaging capabilities across 14 African markets. This expansion includes Southern African nations like Zambia, Malawi, and Madagascar. [4, 5]
  • South Africa Delays: South Africa currently has no planned launch date for Starlink or its Direct-to-Cell services. Strict local telecom regulations require 30% ownership by historically disadvantaged groups, creating a regulatory standstill. [4, 6, 7]


[1] https://www.channelafrica.co.za
[2] https://www.consultant-alliance.com
[3] https://www.instagram.com
[4] https://mybroadband.co.za
[5] https://techcentral.co.za
[6] https://www.barrons.com
[7] https://mybroadband.co.za
 
Brian_G said:
Things are moving faster than we knew, here's more (also AI)...



SpaceX successfully [recently] deployed upgraded Starlink satellites using its massive Starship rocket, while scaling up its Direct-to-Cell network to allow standard smartphones to connect directly to satellites without ground towers.

Key Recent Breakthroughs​

  • Starship Integration: Starship completed milestone test flights, successfully deploying next-generation Starlink hardware directly into orbit from the giant spacecraft.
  • Direct-to-Cell Scaling: The Starlink Direct-to-Cell constellation has expanded rapidly, aiming to provide seamless global text, voice, and data coverage to unmodified mobile phones. [1, 2]
  • Next-Gen V3 Satellites: SpaceX prepared its third-generation satellites, which deliver a massive boost in network capacity—over 1 terabit per second of downlink per satellite. [3]
  • Explosive User Growth: Boosted by wider maritime, aviation, and rural adoption, the network reached a massive milestone of over 9 million active global subscribers.

Southern Africa Direct-to-Cell Timeline​

  • Regional Rollout (2026): Starlink partnered with Airtel Africa to launch Direct-to-Cell data and messaging capabilities across 14 African markets. This expansion includes Southern African nations like Zambia, Malawi, and Madagascar. [4, 5]
  • South Africa Delays: South Africa currently has no planned launch date for Starlink or its Direct-to-Cell services. Strict local telecom regulations require 30% ownership by historically disadvantaged groups, creating a regulatory standstill. [4, 6, 7]


[1] https://www.channelafrica.co.za
[2] https://www.consultant-alliance.com
[3] https://www.instagram.com
[4] https://mybroadband.co.za
[5] https://techcentral.co.za
[6] https://www.barrons.com
[7] https://mybroadband.co.za
Click to expand...
Direct to cell isn't going to be broadband. The speeds they are aiming for is something like 10mbps. Your phone will also need a clear view of the sky. It doesn't work indoors.

We won't see Starlink in the near future if they don't get a local company to front the licencing/BEE kak. Amazon has the launches already booked to reach commercial viability, which will happen sooner than Starlink getting a licence. Our wonderful government & ICASA made sure of that (Remember to thank the DA/ANC muppets for this - especially that fokken useless DA Comms minister)

Amazon is busy with an enterprise beta program right now. The public beta should roll out soon enough.

Obviously the service can't be on-par with Starlink yet, but for the people that actually need it; that doesn't matter. Even if they can only offer 50mbit, I can promise you its a major step-up from what's currently available.
 
Sopbeen said:
Direct to cell isn't going to be broadband. The speeds they are aiming for is something like 10mbps. Your phone will also need a clear view of the sky. It doesn't work indoors.
Click to expand...

Point was simply that they're streets ahead of Amazon, and that Musk knows what he's doing.

Sopbeen said:
We won't see Starlink in the near future if they don't get a local company to front the licencing/BEE kak. Amazon has the launches already booked to reach commercial viability, which will happen sooner than Starlink getting a licence. Our wonderful government & ICASA made sure of that (Remember to thank the DA/ANC muppets for this - especially that fokken useless DA Comms minister)

Amazon is busy with an enterprise beta program right now. The public beta should roll out soon enough.
Click to expand...

Sopbeen said:
Obviously the service can't be on-par with Starlink yet, but for the people that actually need it; that doesn't matter. Even if they can only offer 50mbit, I can promise you its a major step-up from what's currently available.
Click to expand...

I don't like Bezos, but salute any useful enterprise effort.

For instance, I think Musk's 1 million AI in the sky sats effort is too over the top and don't like it.
 
Interesting how this AI likes the word massive :giggle:

Anyway, here's the last from me to try round it off.
@Sopbeen



SpaceX has massive plans to blow past base normal broadband speeds, targeting peak Direct-to-Cell download speeds of up to 150 Mbps per user. [1, 2]

Current Performance vs. Future Roadmap​


  • Initial Phase (Current): The current "proof-of-concept" phase delivers modest speeds of 2 to 4 Mbps per cell zone. This is intentionally limited by physics and the small size of early smartphone antennas to handle basic messaging, low-res video, and SOS functions. [3, 4, 5]
  • The Broadband Leap (Late 2027): SpaceX announced it is aiming for 150 Mbps peak download speeds. This shift will easily cross standard cellular and base normal broadband speeds, enabling seamless video streaming and 4K calling on unmodified phones. [1, 2, 6, 7, 8]

How They Will Achieve It​


  • Starlink V2 and V3 Satellites: The upgrade relies heavily on deploying the larger V2 and V3 satellites via Starship. These satellites carry giant, high-gain phased-array antennas designed to brute-force a stronger signal to small smartphones. [3, 9]
  • Dedicated Smart Hardware (2027): Alongside standard phones, Elon Musk announced that specialized smartphones featuring next-generation satellite chipsets will roll out by September 2027. These devices will natively utilize specific satellite frequencies for immediate, high-bandwidth data transfers. [7]



[1] https://www.tesery.com
[2] https://www.tesery.com
[3] https://5gworldpro.com
[4] https://www.consultant-alliance.com
[5] https://mybroadband.co.za
[6] https://cioafrica.co
[7] https://www.facebook.com
[8] https://www.youtube.com
[9] https://www.skylinker.io
 
Brian_G said:
Point was simply that they're streets ahead of Amazon
Click to expand...
Yes, Starlink started in 2015, LEO only started in 2019. Starlink has a massive advantage due to the success and expertise of their parent company.

Starlink started their beta in late 2020. Amazon just started their beta, so they are about 1 to 1.5 years "behind" in terms of inception to implementation timelines.

Brian_G said:
Musk knows what he's doing.
Click to expand...
I differ there. I think he employs people that know what they are doing. Important difference.

Brian_G said:
For instance, I think Musk's 1 million AI in the sky sats effort is too over the top and don't like it.
Click to expand...
He has made some kak bets in the past and is continuing the trend with AI. AI datacentres in space is the dumbest **** I've heard in a long time. If server racks under the sea isn't viable, then a goddamn satellite with a server rack is even less viable.
 
AI, despite a lot of slop, is a useful tool if used properly. Don't hesitate to give it detailed instructions, criticize it when going off track, and to get it to repeat with better new instructions.
 
Brian_G said:
Interesting how this AI likes the word massive :giggle:

Anyway, here's the last from me to try round it off.
@Sopbeen



SpaceX has massive plans to blow past base normal broadband speeds, targeting peak Direct-to-Cell download speeds of up to 150 Mbps per user. [1, 2]

Current Performance vs. Future Roadmap​


  • Initial Phase (Current): The current "proof-of-concept" phase delivers modest speeds of 2 to 4 Mbps per cell zone. This is intentionally limited by physics and the small size of early smartphone antennas to handle basic messaging, low-res video, and SOS functions. [3, 4, 5]
  • The Broadband Leap (Late 2027): SpaceX announced it is aiming for 150 Mbps peak download speeds. This shift will easily cross standard cellular and base normal broadband speeds, enabling seamless video streaming and 4K calling on unmodified phones. [1, 2, 6, 7, 8]

How They Will Achieve It​


  • Starlink V2 and V3 Satellites: The upgrade relies heavily on deploying the larger V2 and V3 satellites via Starship. These satellites carry giant, high-gain phased-array antennas designed to brute-force a stronger signal to small smartphones. [3, 9]
  • Dedicated Smart Hardware (2027): Alongside standard phones, Elon Musk announced that specialized smartphones featuring next-generation satellite chipsets will roll out by September 2027. These devices will natively utilize specific satellite frequencies for immediate, high-bandwidth data transfers. [7]



[1] https://www.tesery.com
[2] https://www.tesery.com
[3] https://5gworldpro.com
[4] https://www.consultant-alliance.com
[5] https://mybroadband.co.za
[6] https://cioafrica.co
[7] https://www.facebook.com
[8] https://www.youtube.com
[9] https://www.skylinker.io
Click to expand...
Lets see whether that happens. According to his timelines Starship would have done unmanned missions to Mars by now. In reality they are still struggling to get basic functions to work reliably, like relighting their engines.
 
Sopbeen said:
I differ there. I think he employs people that know what they are doing. Important difference.
Click to expand...

Ok, let's maybe meet halfway there and just say he knows how to determine talent and gain it for his workforce :)

A good businessman.
 
Elon fanboys crying that they can’t get Starlink when most of them don’t even need it. He can follow the law like the rest of us or piss off. He is not special. Well special in a disturbed way, yes.
 
purrr said:
You don't get to choose which laws to follow. Sorry.
Click to expand...

Actually, if it's a matter of needed civil disobedience... and we've already gone that route at least twice. Successfully
 
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