2700 circuits per satellite X 48 sats=129,600 circuits
G* claims ~60,000 circuits available worldwide, which must take into account sleeping customers and gateways. North America has 10,000 circuits available, with gateways initially limiting that. Gateways were to be capped at 1,000 circuits, but that is no longer true. Didn't someone recently say that the Clifton, TX gateway was being upgraded? Can someone close to Clifton drive out there and get us a live circuit update? Converting circuits to subs is a statistical exercise involving the peak # of users at a peak time, generally late afternoon. They want those folks to rarely, if ever, get a busy signal. Also involves average call length. I do not know what number they come up with for subscribers. Gateways will limit capacity for a long time until sat capacity would be saturated, then they launch more sats.
Sats reach 70 N and S.
By the way, if a G* constellation designer/engineer/visionary is lurking out there and wants to anonymously contribute some real facts and figures, send 'em on to lorgstrf@hotmail.com |
