SpaceX’s Starlink provides high-speed satellite internet in Earth’s most rural areas — even in the middle of the ocean.
Sailors in the United States Navy are now finding this out for themselves, as ships are now being equipped with Sailor Edge Afloat and Ashore, also known as SEA2, which uses low-orbit satellites to bring high-speed internet access to ships and shore sites.
On the USSA Abraham Lincoln, sailors are getting access to the internet so they can keep in touch with their family and friends who are perhaps thousands of miles away.
Rob Wolborsky, Chief Engineer at the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR), said (via dvidshub):
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime transformation for the warfighter, and we are pressing to deliver it to the fleet as fast and aggressively as possible. We are also focusing on getting the maximum value from this capability in parallel with delivering it. It will be a leap forward in quality of service afloat for both quality of life and work. The sky, or even better space, is the limit to what can and will be done with this capability once we get it into the hands of our warfighters.”
Previously, warships used Department of Defense satellites that were 22,300 miles away and provided low-speed and unreliable internet connectivity.
The Navy saw major means to upgrade the speed and first used Satellite Terminal Non-Geostationary, or STtNG to gain tactical feeds to secure access to low-orbit satellites.
Then, Starlink antennas were installed, which helped enable speeds of one gigabit per second.
High-speed internet access also has maritime applications and can help with things like GPS location and improve warfighting.
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