Lesotho gets Starlink

[PreboD]

Another neighbouring country gets Starlink before South Africa

Starlink has announced that its services are officially online in Lesotho, yet another African country and neighbour with access to the low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite Internet before South Africa.

Starlink is a satellite broadband service run by Elon Musk's private space company, SpaceX, supported by a network of over 6,750 low-earth orbit satellites, which SpaceX has been launching in batches since 2019.

Wow this is amazing news! Why is it such a challenge for South Africa to get it?

 

[gregmcc]

Why does Lesotho need Starlink? At what point in fscking a goat is it necessary to connect to the internet?

GPS buy maybe there is a internet version.

Goats | GPS goat tracker - Tracking and monitoring livestock

Tracking and monitoring your goats has never been so easy, digitanimal notifies you if something happens and offers 1 year battery life. Try it!

digitanimal.com

 

[Mariner]

Not quite true - for eg, there are areas around the base of Table Mountain where it's a problem

If you're living in a satellite shadow caused by a mountain, you're going to have a reception problem with a geostationary satellite. Living in a deep, narrow, north-south valley with steep sides is going to give you less sunlight daily too.

 

[Mariner]

GPS buy maybe there is a internet version.

Goats | GPS goat tracker - Tracking and monitoring livestock

Tracking and monitoring your goats has never been so easy, digitanimal notifies you if something happens and offers 1 year battery life. Try it!

digitanimal.com

Because knowing where and how is your livestock animals from your smartphone from anywhere is priceless

Like Tracker, you need a cell signal for GPS to give you a GPS location of those goats or your car. GPS belongs to the US Military. They don't mind you receiving their signals for your location, but they're not going to let your smartphone, car or goats GPS tag speak to the GPS satellites.

The goat tags will have a SIM in them to connect to the network and give the GPS position to your cellphone. Apple Airtags already use this system to track your luggage or anything else worldwide.

 

[Brian_G]

Wow this is amazing news! Why is it such a challenge for South Africa to get it?

Seriously?
Look through some of the old threads in this section. Better still, just think ANC..

 

[Ernabr]

Ever visited the Northern Cape, the biggest province in SA, almost half the size of the rest of SA? Towns are about 100 km apart. 10 km out of any town not on a national route, the signal is gone. Tracker doesn't work out of town either. Many areas of other provinces don't have cell signal either. There is signal along all major routes through these areas but go 10 km off the route and you are in signal silence.

If you look at the signal coverage maps, you will see what I'm saying. Al;so, don't assume the signal coverage in rural areas as indicated is good. It can go right down to 2G or be patchy. Dropped or non connecting calls are frequent.

Went on a flower trip in Namaqualand 2 years ago. Updating my blog was a MISSION. Uploading a 10Mb page took forever.

Unfortunately a very large percentage of MyBB readers rarely venture away from their homes or malls with free WiFi.

 

[Swa]

Didn't we see this movie before?

The small town in KwaZulu-Natal that played a crucial role in South Africa’s broadband revolution

The picturesque coastal town of Mtunzini in KwaZulu-Natal is more than just a historic landmark — it’s where South Africa first entered a new era of broadband.

mybroadband.co.za

In September of that year, the late former communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri announced that no undersea cable would be allowed to land in South Africa unless it was majority owned by local or African investors.

 

[Thugscub]

You might pick up one radio station in the rural parts of the Free State - Radio Sonder Grense. It is the only radio station you will pick up in most of the Northern Cape towns. Outside most of those towns there is no SABC, no cell signal and having Tracker on cars is useless.

Those who can afford the installation cost, activation cost and monthly fee have radio internet in parts where it is available. Farms and farm bakkies also use VHF radio because of the unreliability or unavailability of cell signals.

DSTV works perfectly because it is satellite based and only requires a dish and decoder, like Starlink will work because it requires the same.

It's a mission to try and educate the basement dwelling sock smokers.

 

[Polymathic]

I think it's time South Africa's bellybutton pay for not going against the cadres

 

[The Gilded]

You might pick up one radio station in the rural parts of the Free State - Radio Sonder Grense. It is the only radio station you will pick up in most of the Northern Cape towns. Outside most of those towns there is no SABC, no cell signal and having Tracker on cars is useless.

Those who can afford the installation cost, activation cost and monthly fee have radio internet in parts where it is available. Farms and farm bakkies also use VHF radio because of the unreliability or unavailability of cell signals.

DSTV works perfectly because it is satellite based and only requires a dish and decoder, like Starlink will work because it requires the same.

You clearly have never been there. Stop talking rubbish. And DSTV does not work perfectly as satellites are outdated and flawed in many ways. Signal lost due to heavy rain, even pine trees can disrupt the signal. I would rather just forget satellite technology for good and rely on 5G.

 

[The Gilded]

Wow this is amazing news! Why is it such a challenge for South Africa to get it?

Because we don't want to deal with Musk and his nonsense.

 

[Mariner]

You clearly have never been there. Stop talking rubbish.

I have lived in rural areas and towns in both provinces. I still live in a rural area. What's your experience with cell phone signal in a rural area?

And DSTV does not work perfectly as satellites are outdated and flawed in many ways.

The satellite tech works far better than a cell signal in rural areas that have a sketchy or no cell signal.

Your GPS is satellite tech. How well does yours work?

I would rather just forget satellite technology for good and rely on 5G.

There is no 5G in rural areas. There is no cell signal at all in some rural areas.

Because we don't want to deal with Musk and his nonsense.

Ah, so that's what your anti satellite attitude is all about. It's not about the tech, it's about Musk.

 

[Brian_G]

Even if it was possible to offer such claimed existing wide coverage, nobody would believe SA could have achieved it in this ANC climate.

 

[rh1]

Went on a flower trip in Namaqualand 2 years ago. Updating my blog was a MISSION. Uploading a 10Mb page took forever.

Unfortunately a very large percentage of MyBB readers rarely venture away from their homes or malls with free WiFi.

Nice blog


Just joking. Dont have the technical know.

 

[Ernabr]

I have lived in rural areas and towns in both provinces. I still live in a rural area. What's your experience with cell phone signal in a rural area?



The satellite tech works far better than a cell signal in rural areas that have a sketchy or no cell signal.

Your GPS is satellite tech. How well does yours work?



There is no 5G in rural areas. There is no cell signal at all in some rural areas.



Ah, so that's what your anti satellite attitude is all about. It's not about the tech, it's about Musk.

Great reply, but sadly wasted on a 30%er...

 

[Swa]

You clearly have never been there. Stop talking rubbish. And DSTV does not work perfectly as satellites are outdated and flawed in many ways. Signal lost due to heavy rain, even pine trees can disrupt the signal. I would rather just forget satellite technology for good and rely on 5G.

ROFLOL. Terrestrial wireless is the most outdated tech suffering from way more issues. The newer 6G and beyond is designed to work from space.

Space for 6G

Our mission is to connect Europe. We join engineers, entrepreneurs and investors to forge strong links between institutions, industries, and businesses.

connectivity.esa.int

This isn't about the tech for you but about Musk.

 

[Swa]

ROFLOL. Terrestrial wireless is the most outdated tech suffering from way more issues. The newer 6G and beyond is designed to work from space.

Space for 6G

Our mission is to connect Europe. We join engineers, entrepreneurs and investors to forge strong links between institutions, industries, and businesses.

connectivity.esa.int

This isn't about the tech for you but about Musk.

Let me spell it out for you, SA needs Starling desperately. We have been ripped off for 30 years by monopolies and extortionist cellular networks caught in outright lies and our existing satellite internet is a bloody joke.

 

[The Gilded]

Let me spell it out for you, SA needs Starling desperately. We have been ripped off for 30 years by monopolies and extortionist cellular networks caught in outright lies and our existing satellite internet is a bloody joke.

Then Starlink will rip us off as it isn't exactly cheap. Even the entry level price is $80. You can pay that while I stick with fibre. You would be very disappointed with Starlink if you actually used it but you're too much of a Musk fanboy to accept that.

I would rather pay for DSTV Compact if I was living somewhere with no 4G or fibre coverage rather than paying for Starlink. Hell, I would rather listen to AM radio than pay for Starlink.

You realise 500 mbps fibre is even available in places like Tzaneen or Springbok, right? Maybe three farmers would benefit from Starlink but no one else would.

 

[Swa]

Then Starlink will rip us off as it isn't exactly cheap. Even the entry level price is $80. You can pay that while I stick with fibre. You would be very disappointed with Starlink if you actually used it but you're too much of a Musk fanboy to accept that.

I would rather pay for DSTV Compact if I was living somewhere with no 4G or fibre coverage rather than paying for Starlink. Hell, I would rather listen to AM radio than pay for Starlink.

You realise 500 mbps fibre is even available in places like Tzaneen or Springbok, right? Maybe three farmers would benefit from Starlink but no one else would.

My, you have a very small world you're living in. $80 is US pricing. In most countries it launched matching or cutting local pricing, meaning the locals had to start competing. I'm not a Musk fan but I also don't have this irrational fear of anything he produces.

WOW, you'll rather shell out for a crap stationary product than IPTV. Better hope it works in the shadows where you also don't have 4G or fibre.

500 mbps fibre in places like the Karoo? Yeah maybe for 3 farmers.

 

[rh1]

Then Starlink will rip us off as it isn't exactly cheap. Even the entry level price is $80. You can pay that while I stick with fibre. You would be very disappointed with Starlink if you actually used it but you're too much of a Musk fanboy to accept that.

I would rather pay for DSTV Compact if I was living somewhere with no 4G or fibre coverage rather than paying for Starlink. Hell, I would rather listen to AM radio than pay for Starlink.

You realise 500 mbps fibre is even available in places like Tzaneen or Springbok, right? Maybe three farmers would benefit from Starlink but no one else would.

Ooh we get it, you dont need starlink. Neither do I. The fact that alot of people in rural areas bought starlink before, means that there is a demand for the product.

I will give you an example of your argument: You basically saying there is no need for a car dealership in a small town as there is a car dealership 250km's away which is adequate for the town needs.