https://www.wired.com/story/how-spacexs-satellite-internet-will-actually-work/

If you haven’t heard, there’s a new space race underway. The goal is to bring the “other 3 billion” people who lack internet access online using massive constellations of broadband satellites that number in the thousands. Leading the pack are SpaceX’s Starlink and OneWeb, former collaborators whose bid to bring the net to orbit has turned into a rivalry that plays out in FCC petitions and spicy Twitter exchanges. The tension is understandable given the stakes. For OneWeb, the global adoption of space-based internet is critical to the company’s existence; for SpaceX, it is key to funding Elon Musk’s Mars ambitions.

Both companies put their first satellites into orbit last year, but 2020 is when things will get serious. In February, OneWeb will launch a batch of 34 internet satellites to bring its total to 40, and more launches are expected later in the year. SpaceX already has 122 Starlink satellites in orbit and plans to do as many as 24 Starlink launches this year with 60 satellites per batch—starting today. SpaceX says it is aiming to launch a Falcon 9 rocket today at 9:19 pm ET, and the video below will go live 15 minutes beforehand.