It looks like the satellite internet wars are on! Google recently announced they will be supporting AST SpaceMobile (a start link rival) by investing $110 million joining AT&T and Vodaphone .
Around the end of last year AST launched their prototype satellite BlueWalker 3 with the capability of providing 5G internet to smart phones at download rates as high as 14Mbps, that seemed to do the trick for getting Google interested in them.
But it appears that Google is playing both sides with them also backing Starlink and helping them build their ground infrastructure.
(Credit: AST SpaceMobile via pcmag article)
I think this is great ,a better solution for internet has been needed and there have been different approaches Google it self had an interesting idea called project loon that Involved filling balloons with helium and having them float around in the stratosphere proving internet in remote and rural areas, there was a lot of interest however they scrapped the idea due to not being able to bring down the costs.
Satellite internet has been available for a long time but before space X the cost for it was very high and often very slow, sat internet is a game changer for many people without access and it can also help bring down the cost of internet however that may still take some time for sat internet to be competitive price wise.
