[Starlink] Starlink Digest, Vol 12, Issue 6

[Ulrich Speidel]

On 6/03/2022 4:25 am, Larry Press wrote:
> > But that's exactly the situation that would make it a party to the conflict and its user a 
> target.
>
> How many terminals do you think they have and who -- which class of 
> person -- do you think has them?
Starlink: With the given ground station arrangement, my best guess would 
be a few hundred. Who has them: The Ukrainian government, FAIK, exclusively.

Non-Starlink: Given that the mobile networks and fixed Internet are 
still operational in most places, including some overrun by the 
Russians, I'd say probably a couple of dozen million? Any mobile phone 
with data connectivity can in principle be shared among multiple users 
as a WiFi hotspot, as can any domestic DSL or fibre connection. I would 
expect there to be significant moves in these networks towards backhaul 
diversification on the provider side as well as towards mesh-ification 
on the user side.


Dishy-sized satellite TV antennas are common household items in Ukraine 
(just have a look at Google Street View), and they have a population 
that is by and large well educated and technically nimble and literate. 
So I'd expect Wi-Fi mesh networks using satellite dishes for range 
extension to become common, too.


But they don't get the PR miles out of this that Starlink do. Only Saint 
Elon does ;-)


BTW: There has been a serious cyber attack on ViaSat's central and 
eastern European KA-SAT services, likely to be connected to the war in 
Ukraine. Collateral damage? The remote monitoring and maintenance 
facilities on around 3,000 German wind turbines. Google translation of 
the article in Der Spiegel is here:


https://www-spiegel-de.translate.goog/netzwelt/web/viasat-satellitennetzwerk-offenbar-gezielt-in-osteuropa-gehackt-a-afd98117-5c32-4946-ab8a-619f1e7af024?_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp


The case was flagged by Andreas Knopp from Bundeswehr University in 
Munich, a well-known researcher in the satcom sector (I've met him so I 
know he exists ;-)):


https://idw--online-de.translate.goog/de/news789489?_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp


-- 

****************************************************************
Dr. Ulrich Speidel

School of Computer Science

Room 303S.594 (City Campus)

The University of Auckland
u.speidel at auckland.ac.nz  
http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~ulrich/
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