Raleigh, I remember your early posts on the future of communications (of all kinds) being in satellite downlink and uplink technology. I agreed with the broad strokes but questioned (silently) the feasability of this technology in the short term. Well, you were right.
I'll give you the down link side of the equation, its here already. But individual uplink tech. is still being born. My admittedly limited imagination can see regional uplink facilities that would gather in transmissions from individual sites much like the cell phone infrastructure does now. They could then transmit the data to the satellites serving the target area. <<For the individual sites to hit the satellites directly would take numerous low orbit birds (about 100 miles high?). The sheer number of birds, the complexity of co ordinating their orbits, the re-shuffling necessary to work around birds that go deaf and dumb, the expence of launching, ... are serious hurdles to clear>>.
The fiber optic alternative is quite attractive in the high population density areas. The initial build-out is very expensive, but it is being carried out in many ways. Power companies are putting up fiber optic loops (loops are used so as to be able to feed from either direction,if a link goes down all nodes can still be hit from one end or the other); the NYC Transit system has installed a loop throughout the four boroughs that are served by the subways; the Long Island Rail Road is installing a loop throughout its electrified service area; the proposed "EZ Pass" system being planned for the New Jersey toll roads will install fiber optic cable and lease out the excess capacity;some of the local cable companies will undoubtedly wise up and go the fiber route when they wake up to all the customers they are loosing to satellite TV services; the phone companies will eventually have to bring their fiber optics to the indidual customer downleads when they wake up to all the customers they will loose to the cable companies, etc.
I see fiber and satellite solutions coexisting but I don't under estimate the ability of fiber optics to outstrip the satellite alternative as time goes by. The promises of fiber optics for communications are capacity and reliability vis a vis the old copper technology. At NYC Transit it took years to install the loop, but the payoff has been tremendous in reducing maintenance costs of data and phone communications. Once the glass is strung future upgrades can be accomplished by utilizing newer technologies at the nodes. This would be easier/cheaper then launching new satellites (IMHO).
I wish I had a good ending for this...wait, I know... thanks Raleigh, S.T., Vic, and many others for your continuing efforts on behalf of us all.
Sam |
