SpaceX Starlink engineers Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) Saturday, Covering topics such as data caps (which they never expect to be implemented), when public beta will spread to more users, and how Satellite-Broadband service will expand and change in the future.
“Starlink is a very flexible system and will get better over time as we make the software smarter. Latency, bandwidth, and reliability can all be significantly improved, “the engineers wrote under the Reddit username” Dishimacflatface “, also known as SpaceX’s Starlink Satellite Bowl.
Here are some highlights of AMA.
No data caps “at this time”
When asked if users would ever encounter data caps, the Starlink team gave a vague answer: “At this time, the Starlink beta service does not have data caps.”
Although this response did not cover the present but the future, the next comment from Dishmacflatface provided a more detailed response, suggesting that SpaceX was trying to avoid data caps:
So we don’t really want to enforce restricted data caps as people have been exposed to the Satellite Internet in the past. At the moment we are still trying to figure out a lot of things – we have to do something to prevent future abuse and just make sure everyone gets quality service.
Beta spread in January – no bribe required
Starlink satellite dishes and utensils in the Koir D’Allen National Forest in Idaho.
A lot of people who haven’t been able to get Starlink Beta are eagerly awaiting availability updates, and AMA responded. The Starlink team writes: SpaceX is constantly increasing network access over time to bring in more people. “In particular, we plan to move from a limited beta to a larger beta at the end of January, to give more users a chance to participate.”
Presented by Alan Musk, CEO of SpaceX A similar update on Twitter A few weeks ago when a user asked when Beta Florida would arrive. “Low-latitude states need more satellites in the situation, so maybe January,” Musk wrote at the time.
As before, people expecting to receive Starlink can enter their email and service address. Starlink website And hope to hear back. Bribery will not help. When a Reddit user asked, “How are beta users selected and what is the best bribe amount?” The Starlink team responded, “No bribe required, our goal is to ultimately serve everyone.”
More engineers are needed
The Starlink team repeatedly told Reddit users that SpaceX was looking for more engineers. In response to when the beta will roll out, Dishimacflatface wrote, “If you really want to help get it running, the best thing you can do is send a good software engineer to Starlink to help make it happen. Is. “
There are more than a dozen jobs available in Starlink’s product design, product design, and software, and links to job posts can be found in it. DishyMcFlatface Comments. “We are very excited about Starlink’s initial response and future prospects, but we still have a lot of time to learn,” the Starlink team wrote. “If you know of any great people who can help us, please email them at your res .me Starlink @ specs.com.”
Will Starlink work away from home?
A few weeks ago, we Written about a Starlink beta user He carried a satellite bowl and a portable power supply to a national forest in Idaho, where he was able to get fast internet service. But that doesn’t mean you can take the bowl anywhere, as SpaceX only promises at the moment that it will work at every beta user’s service address.
A Reddit user who lives and works on submarines in South Florida wanted to know if Starlink would provide service on the high seas. “A mobile system that gives me reliable connectivity will really set me free to roam the seas, the Bahamas, and ultimately beyond.”
Starlink replied:
For now, we can only provide service at the address you sign up for at Starlink.com. You may be lucky if you try to use Starlink at nearby locations, but the quality of service may be poor.
Mobility options – including moving your Starlink to different service addresses (or places that don’t even have addresses!) – are coming once we’ve launched more satellites and rolled out new software. Are able to increase their coverage.
SpaceX recently Said the Federal Communications Commission For permission to inspect “on the ship’s platform” and Starlink’s user terminal Private jet.
Storms and extreme temperatures
A Reddit user asked if the satellite dish would work in high winds, such as “on the tail of a flatbed trailer when the hurricane is flying down the interstellar.” The SpaceX team stated that this was not a recommended use and that “the bowl was not designed for storms, hurricanes, etc.”
A Reddit user living in Canada asked if the dish would work at temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 49 degrees Fahrenheit). Starlink engineers responded that the bowl is certified to run at zero to 30 40 to 40 (C on a Celsius scale (which is 22 below 104 ° F). SpaceX “examined these cold temperatures without issue.”
Starlink Satellite Recipes “has the ability to self-heat to deal with a wide variety of weather conditions,” the team said. In the coming weeks and months, they plan to deploy software updates that will “upgrade our ice melting capacity.”
