I’ve already got a Garmin 66i (mainly for wilderness area backpack emergency signaling and communication, though for more expensive service subscriptions larger amounts of texting is available) that is a two way text communicator using existing satellite networks so I see this as reachable.
One thing: reports are the Starlink vehicles have turned out to be a nightmare for visible wavelength astronomers as there’re big and very very shiny and there’s going to be a LOT of them. Streaking long exposures and damaging data. (One proposal I’ve seen is to rethink their shiny coating to make them non reflective.)
The Verge:
Why astronomers are worried that SpaceX’s satellite network will pollute the night sky
This is likely a project to provide more internet access in areas where that is still difficult to achieve -- similar to a project "Googlebet" (nice, Blastdoor) has been doing. It's possible that Apple wants to create its own ISP, of course, but hard to gauge what kind of capacity/logistics would be required to pull something like that off. I have a feeling this project may be a bit more focused than some of the speculation above.
Is 6G just 5G with satellite coverage. so if Apple can crack a few essential patients to system and have coverage ready to roll out then they can’t be held over barrel like 5G plus it should make them cash in own right.
Amazon is also hiring former Google satellite execs and actively working on a launch of their own satellite system, while Google themselves who were originally planning their own are now a backer of Starlink from what I read and contributing some of their pertinent engineering and IP to the project as well as backing One Web. Add to that other companies currently launching at least the beginnings of their own satellite internet services, and still others will likely be somewhere in the mix too. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/14/spacex-oneweb-and-amazon-to-launch-thousands-more-satellites-in-2020s.html
I can't imagine the work that must be done simply to avoid the current sats during other launches including something like resupplying the Space Station much less the thousands more that will added within coming months.
Amazon is also hiring former Google satellite execs and actively working on a launch of their own satellite system, while Google themselves who were originally planning their own are now a backer of Starlink from what I read and contributing some of their pertinent engineering and IP to the project as well as backing One Web. Add to that other companies currently launching at least the beginnings of their own satellite internet services, and still others will likely be somewhere in the mix too. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/14/spacex-oneweb-and-amazon-to-launch-thousands-more-satellites-in-2020s.html
I can't imagine the work that must be done simply to avoid the current sats during other launches including something like resupplying the Space Station much less the thousands more that will added within coming months.
Comments
so if Apple can crack a few essential patients to system and have coverage ready to roll out then they can’t be held over barrel like 5G plus it should make them cash in own right.