Satellite Uplinks For the Masses 49
kgeiger writes "Intellectual Ventures has spun out Kymeta to develop and mass-produce their mTenna product line. mTennas are based on metamaterials like the invisibility cloaks discussed on Slashdot and elsewhere. Metamaterials enable beam-steering that ensures an mTenna remains in contact with satellites even during motion. Kymeta will use 'established lithographic techniques' to make them. IMHO, these antennas may be as big a leap for mobile computing and remote communications as the invention of fractal antennas was for mobile phones."
Antennas Aren't The Issue (Score:0, Insightful)
Antennas are not the issue with satellite communications. We already have sat phones with internal antennas that are perfectly capable of making unstable calls on the fly, as it were.
The issue is COST! If you think cell phone companies over charge for calling or, more importantly data, then you've got a really rude awakening coming form satellite providers. Low bandwidth data connections cost a metric shit tonne.
Also, OMFG latency(lag)!