Elon Musk shows SpaceX’s first internet satellites ready for launch

This might be your best chance to get a peek at SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites before they're hurtled into orbit. Elon Musk has posted a photo (below) of the first 60 production satellites packed into the fairing of a Falcon 9 rocket ahead of...

Hughes updates its HughesNet satellite broadband with Gen4 service

DNP HughesNet Gen 4 Embargo

On the same day that Dish's new satellite broadband service kicks off, partner Hughes is upgrading its own offering with even faster speeds. HughesNet Gen4 offers downloads of up to 15 Mbps to the 19 million (or so) Americans who can't get high-speed fixed-line broadband services. $50 a month will get customers 10 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload with a 20GB data cap, while $80 a month offers a 30GB limit and 2 Mbps upload -- but for high-rolling hermits, $100 a month gets you the full 15 Mbps down, 2 Mbps up and a 40GB allowance. Current users wanting in on the action aren't excluded from the program, and can register their interest at our More Coverage link.

Continue reading Hughes updates its HughesNet satellite broadband with Gen4 service

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Hughes updates its HughesNet satellite broadband with Gen4 service originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Oct 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dish Network launches nationwide satellite broadband service with ViaSat, Hughes, calls it dishNET

Dish Network's nationwide satellite brodband service could be ready to launch soon

Dish Network's long-gestating tie-up with ViaSat and Hughes has finally arrived under the name dishNET. Sounding like an implement you'd use to clean dirty dinner plates, the nationwide satellite broadband service launches from October 1st, targeting customers in rural areas that are underserved with fixed line gear. $40 a month gets you 5 Mbps down / 1Mbps up with a 10GB data cap, while subscribers can get a $10 discount if they pick up a TV package at the same time. We asked the company if this was related to the service based upon its spectrum purchases that was hinted at back in August, and it confirmed this is just leveraging ViaSat Exede and HughesNet.

Continue reading Dish Network launches nationwide satellite broadband service with ViaSat, Hughes, calls it dishNET

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Dish Network launches nationwide satellite broadband service with ViaSat, Hughes, calls it dishNET originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 09:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inmarsat brings prepaid model to satellite phone calls

Inmarsat brings prepaid model to satellite phone calls

If you need a satellite phone, then you need a satellite phone. There's no getting around it. Researchers, government contractors and workers in remote locations around the globe rely on their near universal (and extremely expensive) coverage to keep in touch while out in the field. That has normally meant pricey, long-term contracts that lock users into service much like our nation's cellular providers. Satellite operator Inmarsat is finally providing an alternative for those that need truly global coverage (specifically, here in the US) by offering prepaid voice plans to owners of its IsatPhone Pro, BGAN, FleetBroadband and FleetPhone devices. The new plans, while no less expensive we're sure, should prove to be quite attractive to those that need satellite service for only short periods of time -- say, just a few months. The new plans will be available starting September 1st for those who want sat-phone service without the commitment. Check out the PR after the break.

[Photo courtesy of Tarquin Binary]

Continue reading Inmarsat brings prepaid model to satellite phone calls

Inmarsat brings prepaid model to satellite phone calls originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 08:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intellectual Ventures launches Kymeta spinoff, promises slim satellite broadband hotspots

Intellectual Ventures launches Kymeta spinoff, promises satellite broadband hotspots

Intellectual Ventures is best known for its tendency to sue everyone, but it's going some distance to mend that bruised image through a newly spun out company, Kymeta. The startup hopes to improve the quality of satellite broadband through mTenna-branded, Ka-band hotspots made from metamaterials -- substances that can boost and manipulate a satellite signal while occupying virtually no space, leading to self-pointing transceivers that are just a fraction of the size of what we use today. That still amounts to equipment the size of a laptop running at a peak 5Mbps, although it's small enough that Kymeta sees hotspots reaching individual customers who want access from a boat, a car or the field. We'd just advise against tossing out the MiFi too quickly. Kymeta doesn't expect the hotspot to be ready before late 2014 at the earliest, and that leaves many questions about how much of a hit we'll take to the pocketbook.

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Intellectual Ventures launches Kymeta spinoff, promises slim satellite broadband hotspots originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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