[socal87]

Granted, this is pretty offtopic, and doesn't have anything to do with Broadcom whatsoever...but I saw this topic on Slashdot and was wondering what kind of suggestions the community could come up with for constant streaming Internet access while at sea.

I'm thinking either satellite (slow and expensive but available anywhere on the planet) or medium wave / short wave radio (lower bandwidth than satellite but not as hard to implement, though limited on range). In the Marine Corps, one of the tactical radio systems we use, the PRC-150, operates in the 1.6MHz to 30MHz band, and is capable of IP internetworking...depending on power and time of day, range is generally up to about 400 miles. Obviously not line of sight, and not entirely reliable, as it involves bouncing the signal off the ionosphere, therefore susceptible to solar interference.

Or, as was mentioned in the thread....maybe a really really really long string. Not sure if the cost vs performance factor would be worth it.

[GeeTek]

Due to physics, space based system are the only thing that will ever deliver broadband at long ranges. Short wave has too much natural and man made interference. At the current level of technology evolution I am surprised that we are not using far IR optics for space based broadband.

I've thought about hooking a power line broadband adaptor up to a big amp, but switching that much amperage at megabit frequencies might be a bit tricky.

[phuzi0n]

There was actually someone on here ~1 year ago that had upgraded from a G spec router to N spec on a boat with high gain antennas to reach an AP on shore. Wifi only works for people that stay close to towns (a few miles) with line of sight to open AP's though.

Satellite services are the only solution in the open ocean.

[zerofire]

Unless someone invents a high capacity, flexible medium for long distance transfer you will be stuck to shelling out loads of money for sluggish satellites when out in the ocean.