Comment by lxgr
20 hours ago
TFA specifically calls out not wanting to depend on 4G/5G coverage, which is anything but ubiquitous:
> It has the advantage of working pretty much anywhere with a view of the sky so no relying on mobile network coverage.
I'm also not sure if $25/month is anything close to the global average for unlimited 4G/5G data (if even available).
Sounds way too high to me, I am paying €8.80/month for unlimited 5G, calls and texting
I pay $25 for my backup 5G internet - but unlike a mobile plan, it's actually unlimited at 300mbps, and I don't have to resort to TTL shenanigans and such to use it for my whole network. It's just plugged into one of the ports on my router, and provides it with real public IPv4. Ran it for a few days when the fiber dropped out and consumed 200GB without complaint from either myself or the ISP.
I think it’s uncontroversial that cheap, unlimited 5G exists in some places.
Where on earth are you living with that kind of price point? Unreal.
Italy, France and Spain have 200GB+ plans for 10€. Romania reportedly has unlimited for 4€ but I don't know which operator.
US plans just aren't comparable as they've been historically f'd with astronomical monthly payments.
1 reply →
UK is a bit more expensive than that but not silly.
I can get close to £10/mo but that's because I'm already paying that carrier ~£30/mo for two separate SIMs (mine and my kid's).
The £9/mo deal offered below is just half price for 6 months, it then becomes £18/mo.
https://5g.co.uk/unlimited-data-sim/
The bottom of the page does give some details about what "unlimited data" means here in the UK between the different carriers. Some cap speeds, some monitor usage and then either turf you off on "fair use" grounds or do traffic management/shaping. The general rule seems to be 650GB in 6 months is just about the limit of what is ok.
That wouldn't be anywhere near enough for me. Looking at my router I see I've downloaded 522GB in the last 34 days alone.
I mean it's more to do with the cool factor of using a satellite, not practical concerns. Practically a mobile failover is superior if you have coverage.
See the power outage in Iberia as a counterpoint.
Also when there's a fiber cut, it usually takes out everyone since there are frequently shared conduits or poles.
Everyone reverting to mobile usually takes everyone out.