Though I still think the current Vocus-Sky alignment is going to be a strong partnership into the future...
I have managed to debunk my own thinking around satellite broadband efficiencies that assumed Sky's vast network existing of satellite dishes would be a benefit.
I made contact with DishTV (the satellite dishes they sell are the same ones used by Sky) to find out if it would be technically possible for a dish like that to be upgraded so that it could send and receive signals and provide satellite internet from Starlink.
It seems that the LNB could possibly be replaced to allow for two way traffic, however it still would not help in this case. And that is because the satellite dish is the "wrong shape" to read signals from low orbit satellites like Starlink.
I don't pretend to understand why this is the case, though apparently Starlink use a dish ("Dishy") that is "more like a phased array antenna and does not need a LNB"
An unfortunate outcome, as I could see Starlink becoming more of 'a thing' if there were opportunities for a Vocus-Sky partnership to offer the service as part of a wider bundle. It would have been cheaper to do so if completely brand new infrastructure was not required.
As it is, I don't see how Starlink will be successful in NZ with the fibre rollout (99.8% coverage of NZ expected by the end of next year) as well as the 5G and other fixed wireless services being rolled out by the telcos. Starlink requires expensive kit and set up, so why would anyone sign up to their service when they already have access to ultrafast broaband? Only some rural customers in truly rough terrain would look for a service like this I think, and they are small in number (and shrinking every month).
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