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foxmulder said:

Starlink will be faster than 4G, cable and ADSL.

Speed will be comparable to that of fiber and 5G in short distances but will be again faster if the data source is far especially across oceans. This is actually one of the marketing points, targeting stock traders. Starlink claims it will be faster to use their satellites than the current fastest fiber link between London-NYC.

I pretty confident Starlink will be competitive with the price, too. Think about the amount of investment China is spending on 5G to that of SpaceX's Starlink effort. There is an order of magnitude difference may be more 200 billion vs 20 billion??. Obviously small devices like cell phones cannot use Starlink so 5G is supreme for mobile *but* for large enough vehicles (trucks/ships/planes/trains - ignore when they are in tunnels) and homes I think Starlink will be very competitive.

In any case, global coverage at high speed is so significant, it will be a game changer for many cases we cannot even think right now.

I am ready to bet (also hope) we will have similar solutions form other countries. This is a new GPS moment.

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foxmulder said:

Yes! That is the point. And also not a dream. Starlink investment is cheaper when you think laying fiber across the whole country (forget about world). SpaceX is almost paying zero for the launches. They are using "2nd hand" rockets which were already payed by other customers. That is what makes Starlink so damn smart.

Also it is not a pi$$ing contest for everything. Learn what is good, leave what is bad. I think Starlink idea/implementation is very good.

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TerraN_EmpirE said:

Point 1) past performance doesn’t nessisarily equal future outcomes.
Point 2even then this is a number of straw men arguments.
Your examples were targeted to Chinese centric models.
In the case of PayPal they didn’t launch in China till what 2019 when it bought up Gopay. Alipay by then had an established lock in a large population density.
In the US And most of the wold Tesla is classed as a luxury car. It’s depended on government subsidies and cap and trade for profit. The same holds true globally. Until model 3 most Tesla aren’t in the price point for regular buyers nor really popular class. Even then it depends on subsidies and clever use of cap and trade to make a price. By contrast many Chinese EV are classed as Taxis Or are buses that Operate a drives as commercial vehicles operating in a different market and driving production at higher rates. You again also have the Chinese market where imports have a higher price point than on the global one. Even an entry level car because it’s an import has a premium price in China well most indigenous models are cheaper.
Next Musk targets his batteries for his production. Vertical integration. If you can only get his battery in his product and he doesn’t sell For other products that’s going to keep him smaller.

Finally. In the case here the questions that should be asked IMHO regarding your projection are.

[*]Could Jack Ma or some Private Chinese oligarch afford to launch a competitive global constellation in China? Let’s consider a hypothetical “AliLink”.
Space X has undercut the launch market by reusable launchers first stages now they are even reusing fairings. Without that it’s far more expensive to launch such constellations.
Government can afford to launch disposable rockets sure but but has little interest in doing so for commercial interests alone. Defense and exploration are in the budgets, private sector isn’t.
It’s far to expensive subsidize hundreds of launches for a single maker. Look at One Web bankruptcy.
The ability of Space X to one stop shop and basically rent a rocket, pad and build your payload is a true game changer. Starlink targets sale and use of its Starlink to a number of commercial and government enterprises. In essence this would change the situation from today where we deploy custom one off satellites in high orbits dependent on orbits and government launches to off the shelf ready to go communications networks. Cheaper than the current systems. Part of the aim is mass of production and ability to supply as demanded.
Yes perhaps Jack Ma could do some “AliLink“ down the line but he would need a launcher, costumers, satellites and ground stations. Where does he get it?
LM8 is still Vapor wear but also government owned. That might not be a problem for inside the PRC If he was subsidized for the program but global positioning? Who builds the satellites? The Chinese Space agency?If the user is Chinese only no issue, outside of that? Hauwei? Alibaba? Speaking of which.

[*]If a Chinese “AliLink“ did exist What about the Great Firewall?
Land line and 5G have to run though the server farms in country. Starlink would only have to do so partially If you get linked up to “AliLink” are you on the Chinese Internet or the Open global net? Are Google, YouTube and the Chinese banned firms available? That might be a decision that affects the international marketing of the system.
In the PRC that might fly.
you aren’t in China linchpining your Beyond next generation communication system to “AliLink” might Cause issues. Not because of the issues just of security but compatibility. The Great firewall locks out a number of APPs and locks out access to some networks. Which leads to.

[*] Who would be the clients for “AliLink“?
The PLA? Chinese government? Chinese state owned? Okay. Chinese firms? Okay. Rural China? Ready made potential assuming that they have the money to buy in or own a device at all. This isn’t as simple as owning a phone this requires a ground station box about the size of a pizza box. But you notice it? If that is your costumer base isn’t this more or less just another High Speed infrastructures program? Not “AliLink” but Sinolink? Yes perhaps a larger user base but are they costumers who choose it or is it rather a captive audience government program?
If Starlink fails Musk takes the fall it’s OneWeb again. If he succeeds he does so with the US gov not as the central component but just another happy costumer.

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TerraN_EmpirE said:

Generally it would depend on the mission. If it’s a large scale regional conflict or vs a single nation. Even vs a single nation they may distribute so as to act against multiple targets simultaneously.
Although clustering them can combine their escorts it also makes a large target and if the enemy has anti ship tactical nuclear weapons like nuclear torpedos or missile that could cripple the fleet in one shot.
Multiple targets means that a single large action can’t take out the whole of the fleet.

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