This would change things. No need for towers anymore, more opportunities for automated driving/delivery. how to invest in this tech??? A World First in 5G: Revolutionary Satellite Breakthrough Set to Transform Global Connectivity In a groundbreaking development that could redefine global communication, 5G technology has, for the first time, successfully connected directly to a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite. The achievement, spearheaded by the European Space Agency (ESA) in collaboration with Telesat, marks a monumental leap toward making satellite-based internet as accessible as terrestrial networks. This breakthrough not only has the potential to extend high-speed connectivity to remote areas but also sets the stage for revolutionary advancements in sectors like healthcare, disaster response, and autonomous technology. The ESA’s collaboration with Telesat began with a Memorandum of Understanding, granting access to Telesat’s LEO 3 satellite for testing. Unlike geostationary satellites that remain fixed relative to the Earth, LEO satellites travel rapidly, requiring advanced technology to maintain a stable connection. This experiment relied on Amarisoft’s 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) technology, which enabled a continuous connection as the satellite moved from the horizon to its peak elevation of 38 degrees and back down again. This achievement validates the feasibility of seamless communication between ground-based networks and LEO satellites. “This world-first experiment demonstrates ESA’s technical excellence in advancing broadband satellite access technology,” stated Alberto Ginesi, ESA’s Head of the Telecom Systems and Techniques Section of the Directorate of Technology, Engineering, and Quality (TEC). The implications of this breakthrough are far-reaching. By bridging the gap between terrestrial and satellite networks, it paves the way for a range of innovative applications. For example: ・Disaster Response: Rapid and reliable communication is essential during natural disasters, particularly in areas where traditional infrastructure has been destroyed. Satellite-based 5G could provide a lifeline in such scenarios. ・Telehealth: Remote surgery and healthcare services could become more accessible, even in isolated locations, thanks to ultra-low-latency communication. ・Autonomous Vehicles: With uninterrupted connectivity, self-driving cars and drones could operate more efficiently in rural or urban areas with patchy ground-based networks. ・Global Internet Access: Communities in underserved and remote regions could gain access to high-speed internet, bridging the digital divide.
So far, satellite phone and data has been very expensive. A few have failed, or failed to launch, because they can't attract customers. Iridium costs 65$ month for 10 minutes of talk OR 10 text messages, and no data plan, it's $2.50 for each additional minute or text... I can see if you lived in the boonies with no cell service, an wanted an emergency phone, but in no way would that be a useful smart phone to most people. Unless they can find a way to bring the cost down, a lot, I don't see cell towers going away any time soon. There was a satellite/internet company several years ago, called LightSquared, that failed to launch. They wanted to use a block of spectrum adjacent to the GPS network and also incorporate ground towers into their system, which was previously banned from that spectrum because the "louder" signal from ground towers bleed into and interfered with GPS signals. They went to the FCC to convince them that the negatives of interfering with GPS were offset by the good they'd do by bringing high speed internet to rural communities. It was laughed at because they calculated that watching one Netflix movie on their system would cost over $20,000 in data fees.
