What alternatives for people in remote areas?
As a denizen of regional/rural Australia who still has an insane grin on his face every day when looking at his new Starlink speeds, I'm torn by this:
We are left behind by the utter epic fail that is the so-called National Broadband Network and those of us who can and are tech-savvy enough are voting with our dismounted 4G and Fixed Wireless antennas. Some cast their vote by cutting their rusting copper lines where DSL got them a whopping 1mbps if they were lucky (e.g. my neighbours who couldn't even get 4G due to topography and vegetation). Starlink is our only option to finally achieve speeds that can get within cooee of fibre and boy, does it deliver!
What's the alternative? When with supreme irony it's also the areas most left behind for fast broadband who keep voting in the drongos who have caused the mess? (and the opposition has indicated no intention to turn this around towards the original plan either). When NBNCo has the gall to send you a "fuck-you-go-away" quote for between $250K and $750K to lay fibre to your house?
That in a supposedly developed country. Never mind under-developed countries which can now take a major leap forward.
As stargazer, hobby-astronomer and just all round science nerd, I feel the frustration, but not enough to remain in the networking dark ages through no fault of my own. Maybe there should be a tax that goes into an orbital telescope fund? Tell Elon to take the cash from his Tesla stock sale to build a bunch of Hubble TNG?
Biting the hand that feeds IT
