SpaceX, the company that delivers Starlink, a constellation of satellites providing internet to remote areas of the globe, has begun launching satellites equipped with laser link systems.
These upgraded satellites will use the lasers to route data among the constellation (between satellites) rather than requiring transfer between ground stations and satellites, increasing internet speeds and reducing latency.
Once the space lasers are fully deployed, Starlink will be one of the fastest options available to transfer data around the world.
- Kate Tice, Starlink's Senior Reliability Engineer
Starlink is a potential gamechanger for internet and related technologies in rural and remote areas of the Territory where traditional internet options are not available, allowing for high capacity, low latency internet through satellite internet.
In addition to providing internet services and facilitating access to online education and health services, the benefits of Starlink show great potential for enabling drone operations in the bush. Drones have become game changers when it comes to remote surveying and management of inaccessible land, however one of the difficulties in using drones for these services has been the lack of available connectivity in the Territory's remote regions. Starlink will bring connectivity that will make on-board processing and real time feedback a lot more viable, potentially revolutionising drone technology ability in the tropics.
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