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Comment by gregpilling | Hacker News Reader

I have to wonder if they will be able to provide uncensored service to parts of the planet that are not able to get it now. China has their firewall, and other governments have tried restricting the internet as well. Satellites over head can get around the restrictions.

This would bring the internet not only to rural areas, but also oppressed areas.

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Wouldn't whatever spectrum you use to communicate with satellites be governed by the country's government much like how wireless spectra are owned by countries? In which case, I don't think you'd be able to subterfuge like that.

Iridium and other satellite providers somehow managed to get around this. I think the only places they can't provide service is embargoed countries (and that's more of a "source" country rather than a "destination" country issue).

Further research suggests that the ITU-R is responsible for this, likely under some type of treaty.

The equipment used to communicate with the satellites is usually heavily regulated. For example in India you can't bring in items that communicate via a Satellite without a permit.

In Kenya before they changed the law, VSAT terminals were heavily regulated. They had equipment that could detect if you had an unauthorized installation and you could get under heavy fines.

Bottom line you can't regulate whether you can or can't get the signal, but you can regulate the domestic equipment required to communicate.

My radio theory is a bit limited, but couldn't those countries just point high powered transmitters at the satellites as the pass and drown out the customer transmitters?

Lets hope this doesn't provoke China to destroy another satellite in orbit. The last time they did that 150,000 debris particles were smashed into orbit.

Please provide the link. I haven't heard of the story and it sounds really interesting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Chinese_anti-satellite_mis...

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