An alternative sure, but not in the manner. StarLink is already filling up the air space and producing a ton of new space debris. It needs to die with an entirely different alternative.

[–] florencia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

The alternative is putting up "do you want free training on operating a small bulldozer?" signs everywhere, hiring the humans who show up, and laying down underground cable or telephone poles everywhere. Fuck, just slap a "national defense" reason for why there needs to be internet everywhere for military communications.

Starlink outshines in latency vs undersea cables. Small drones use small radios, bigger drones can use bigger military satellites. Just build out communication to rural areas already. Integrate comm lines into road maintenance crews.

[–] Lv_InSaNe_vL@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

The US government has already paid over $200 billion across about a half dozen high profile infrastructure projects and countless smaller ones.

But we are supposedly up to ~55% coverage of fiber so maybe eventually it'll be fine.

[–] Pistcow@lemm.ee 5 points 2 days ago

EU could knock them out of the sky.

[–] RobotToaster@mander.xyz 2 points 2 days ago (2 children)

What is the alternative?

Geostationary needs a lot more power to transmit.

[–] legion02@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

That's not even the issue with geostationary. The problem is latency to/from satellites in geostationary orbit.

[–] zalgotext@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago

What is the alternative?

Underground fiber. The thing we paid all our telecoms to install back in the 90s, which they promptly didn't do after pocketing all the money.