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2MBps Bandwidth Anywhere Via Suitcase Transmitter

Posted by timothy on from the if-you-have-to-ask dept.

mysticbob writes: "This newly announced suitcase satellite xmtr does 2MBps upstream, anywhere in the world, and sounds easy to use. Could be useful (someday) for lots of remote users. Of course, it does require your ISP have a satellite NAP ... " This looks similar to (but sleeker than) another satellite video connection box we featured a little while ago, but without a built-in monitor. How small will these be in 5 years?

6 of 131 comments (clear)

  1. Cost / Availablity by JohnHegarty · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The cost of this will be high. But this will mean
    1) Real streaming video from anywhere in the world. No more of this videophone stuff on sky news.

    2) Internet Cafe in the middle of no where. 2mb spead accross 20 computers still ain't half bad. Espically when you are 200 miles from the nearest fixed line.

    3) Here is an idea , place one of these on every plane.. get it to instantly send back all "black box" information , plus a live video feed of the cockpit. Could have saved alot of lives on 9/11.

    Anyway... like alot of things , it may be expensive for these now.. but give it 6 months or a year.

    --
    Cruise TT
    1. Re:Cost / Availablity by routerwhore · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I think your time frame is awfully optimistic. Satellite technology always has been expensive, and even now, after products such as DirecPC have been out for years, its still expensive. We are competing for a finite and extremely limited resource as far as the capacity that these satellites can support. Unfortunately an Internet cafe in the middle of nowhere could barely afford to sustain basic utilities, let lone sustain its net connection. This technology does not apply to laws of economics, the same could be said for airlines that are fighting for their own survival right now. Even a company providing basic phone service via satellite couldn't even get off the ground. Until the number of satellites increases substancially, satellite services will not appeal to the market at large.

    2. Re:Cost / Availablity by JohnHegarty · · Score: 2, Interesting

      It might not have had the fighters there quicker. But when the first plane hit, they could have checked all incomming flight , and seen another one on the way. With a highjacker at the controls. And been able Given an earlier warning for the second tower.

      Ever second of deley cost a life that day.

      --
      Cruise TT
  2. Please.. give one to CNN by LordOfYourPants · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'm sick of seeing 16.0 kbps RealPlayer video clips from Afghanistan.

  3. Packet Sniffing and Encyption by routerwhore · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Gee, and we thought clear-text was dangerous across land lines. In fact, following along the echelon/big brother lines, here in Virginia I have actually seen very large satellite be built, then seen a house nearby be taken over by Feds. The thought is they are sitting in the house pulling down all the transmissions directly from the satellite for mass monitoring.

  4. Wait a few years... by Brightest+Light · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Ok, great. We can get 2Mb/s anywhere in the world. But the transmitter is as large as a suitcase. Too inconvienent, you say? Does anybody remember the first cellular phones? Those things were about the size of a small backpack, and you could only use them in a car. Not do mention the cost. Those things were damned expensive. But now, you can go anywhere that sells wireless phones, and pick up one that fits in the palm of your hand, and pay less than $200 for the privliage.
    It's the same with the first "laptop" computers, they were about the size of a minitower desktop, and you could only use them if you had a power source to plug into. If you had less than $5000 to spend on a computer, forget about it! But now, you can go to any computer store, and pick up a palm pilot (which has more processing power than the machine my family paid $3000 for back in 1987 had), for a cool $199.98.

    I guess the point i'm trying to make is, wait a few years. Given time, technology will shrink and grow less expensive, and thus more avaliable to the common geek.