The advancement of communications is essential for human progress. We are in a world where it is the centerpiece of everything.
Over the decades we saw the introduction, along with the advancement of Wifi, cellular, sand satellite. All of these factor into the way with interact with each other along with the world around us.
We can add in the speed of processors since this is often the starting point of what gets communication. Since AI technology is being used to monitor, route, and alleviate bottlenecks on our systems, we can see how this ties directly in.
What comes next?
Here is where we will look at the development of Space Telecoms. It will be the major communication wave of the next 2 decades.
SpaceX. Blue Origin.
These are two of the companies along with the Chinese and Europeans that are looking to take control of this race. So far, SpaceX is the leader with the most satellites released. This is going to get a lot more crowded over the next couple of years.
Most are familiar with Starlink. This is the satellite internet service provided by SpaceX. It is a service that is looking to provide direct-to-cell (DTC) over the next year. It will provide text services and, ultimately, voice.
The cluster of satellites are in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This is just one of the orbits that are used for communications. Each is going to participate in the future.
As we keep moving further out, there are pros and cons. Another race that is occurring is between the US and China. Each is vying to be the first to get a satellite in the Lagrange Points. The closet is roughly 2 million miles away.
What are the Lagrange Points?
Lagrange points are a family of locations in space where the tug of gravity from the Sun and the Earth balance out. Consequently, any spacecraft located at one of these points can remain in place for a long time. Lagrange 1 (L1), Lagrange 2 (L2) and Lagrange 3 (L3) are along a line contacting the two large masses: the Earth and the Sun. These three points are unstable versus the stable Lagrange 4 (L4) and Lagrange 5 (L5) points, which are the apexes of two equilateral triangles.
More information can be found in this article.
The environment is stable enough to conduct experiments and other scientific observations.
We are looking at the future of NTNs. These are networks that are off the planet. Our present satellite technology is just the start.
The advantage to this is the ability to cover the entire planet. Looking at the layout of Starlink, we can see how this is the case. Going a bit further out, we get Geostationary satellites which provide services such as GPS.
Even if we never become a multi-planetary species, enhancing our communications system is crucial. It is nothing new since we saw this over the decades. We are now moving towards 6G, which is the 6th generation.
Compare to what things were like when dealing with 3G.
Going into space helps us to cover larger areas with less. Then we can add in the "intelligence" of these systems, which are able to only cover land areas, omitting water since few are out there.
Then we have balloons, planes, and other ways to add to the communications totality.
As we proceed deeper into the digital realm, advancement here is crucial.
One other thought: one component of a monetary system is communications. This means there are basic economic impacts based upon the advancement of money.
