Stacks of Starlink satellites awaiting deployment in orbit. A new space race is underway—not for the Moon or Mars, but to blanket Earth in high-speed internet from space. Private companies and governments are launching mega-constellations of satellites by the thousands, aiming to beam broadband connectivity to every corner of the globe. The stakes are enormous:…
Read more
High above Earth, in the crowded expanse of geosynchronous orbit (GEO) some 22,300 miles up, a set of American satellites quietly keeps watch. These are the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites – often dubbed “neighborhood watch” satellites – and they form a covert but crucial line of defense in space. Born in secrecy…
Read more
Imagine a village high in the mountains or deep in the rainforest, once cut off from the online world, suddenly gaining high-speed internet from the sky. This is the promise of satellite internet. By beaming broadband connectivity from orbit, satellite networks are bridging the digital divide and transforming life in far-flung communities. In 2023, an…
Read more
A Starlink user terminal installed on a riverboat in remote Brazil, reflecting the service’s reach into areas underserved by terrestrial internet reuters.com. Despite such promise, Starlink’s global expansion has repeatedly run into regulatory roadblocks in different countries. Introduction: Starlink’s Global Ambitions vs. Regulatory Reality Starlink, the satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX, aspires to deliver…
Read more
SpaceX’s Starlink has rapidly built a mega-constellation of satellites that is reshaping how the world accesses the internet. Since launching the first batch of 60 satellites in 2019, Starlink has put thousands of satellites into low-Earth orbit to blanket the planet with broadband coverage blog.telegeography.com. By late 2024, nearly 7,000 Starlink satellites were in orbit…
Read more
Introduction Satellite phones (or satphones) are mobile telephones that connect directly to orbiting satellites instead of terrestrial cell towers. They provide voice calling, SMS text messaging, and low-speed data by relaying signals through satellites to reach the conventional telephone network en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org. In practical terms, when you make a call on a satellite phone, your handset…
Read more
Starlink Overview: Business Model, Services, and Technology Business Model: Starlink is SpaceX’s satellite internet venture aiming to deliver broadband globally using a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation. Unlike traditional satellite ISPs that often partner with local distributors, Starlink primarily operates a direct-to-consumer model – users order a Starlink kit (dish antenna + WiFi router) and subscribe to monthly service.…
Read more
Executive Summary and Market Overview The global space industry is experiencing robust growth in the mid-2020s, driven by commercial innovation and rising government investment. In 2024, the global space economy reached an estimated $415 billion in revenue, up 4% from the previous year sia.org. Commercial satellite activities dominate, accounting for about $293 billion (71%) of this total sia.org. The number of…
Read more
Belarus boasts a paradoxical internet landscape: on one hand, it has a highly developed network infrastructure with broad access and affordable high-speed connections; on the other hand, it operates under one of the most tightly controlled and censored regimes in Europe. As of 2022, nearly 89.5% of Belarusians were internet users freedomhouse.org, reflecting significant penetration…
Read more
Bahrain is one of the most connected countries in the world, boasting near-universal internet access and cutting-edge digital infrastructure. This Gulf kingdom has invested heavily in fiber-optic networks and the latest mobile broadband (including 5G), making high-speed connectivity the norm rather than the exception. With 99% internet penetration and competitive telecom providers, Bahrain’s residents enjoy…
Read more