Starlink could change the internet as we know it, and it is the result of an ambitious plan devised by tech billionaire and Elon Musk, founder of Tesla. Preorders have already started for this new satellite internet service, and it promises to deliver up to 300Mbps broadband speeds to anyone in the world wherever they may be. Whether it’s a rural farm in Iowa or a small Tuvalu island country, buyers have been told to expect download speeds from 210 Mbps to 10 Gbps.
On the heels of Starlink preorders, Elon Musk was able to bring SpaceX’s stock valuation to $ 74 billion, up 60% from August 2020. It shows investor confidence in Musk’s satellite megaconstellation. SpaceX continues to launch more satellites, and it is likely that service will begin in Europe soon. And now we have an idea of how the rollout is going, thanks to a new cover map courtesy of PC Mag.
But what is Starlink? Below you will find a version of this project which aims to connect everyone in the world to high speed internet.
Latest Starlink News (Updated February 28)
Starlink release date
Beta testing and preorders have already begun for Starlink. Unfortunately, these are limited to people based on geolocality and how they come to be. This is likely so that engineers at Starlink can test not only users in cities, but in more rural areas across the U.S. and the world.
Based on filing with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Starlink confirmed that it had more than 10,000 customers as part of the Better Than Nothing beta test. SpaceX, Elon Musk’s commercial rocket company, is the vehicle that will receive Starlink satellites into low orbit on Earth (LEO). SpaceX has already received a $ 856 million grant from the U.S. government to help bring broadband access to rural America.
Given the size of the U.S., it rarely makes financial sense for Internet companies to lay down cable or fiber lines. Because Starlink is wireless, it offers a solution to this puzzle. In terms of disclosure, 24% of rural Americans say that access to broadband remains a key issue.
Already, SpaceX has launched more than 1,000 Starlink satellites. While this is a real achievement, for this satellite internet constel to be fully operational, it needs 12,000 satellites in total. Starlink currently manufactures 120 satellites per month.
In addition to preorders and beta testing, according to another FCC filing, Starlink says “at the launch end it is launching, SpaceX expects by the end of 2020 to start offering commercial service in the north the United States and southern Canada, and then rapidly expand to near-global coverage of the world’s population by 2021. “
As long as things go according to plan, Starlink should be fully operational sometime this year. Although, according to the Starlink preorder website, coverage will not be available until mid to late 2021 for some sailings.
Starlink available and to cover
As it is available, Starlink prioritises “high latitudes,” meaning areas of the North of the Earth, such as Canada and the upper parts of the United States. Ultimately, the goal is for Starlink to be connected to all parts of the world. In a tweet, Musk clarified that Starlink would first hit cities like Seattle, and “move closer to the equator. “
Thanks to a report from PC Mag, the release was in partnership with Ookla’s speed testing platform to see exactly where Starlink is using it the most.
Since Starlink is a satellite internet, coverage can vary depending on the latter. With just over a thousand satellites in orbit, some parts of the world will have better coverage depending on when an internet constel passes through. There are a few cover maps available online that show where satellites are moving, and as they post this, there appear to be arrays of satellites around the Northwest United States, which as well as collections near New Zealand and Australia.
In the US, interestingly, there are customers in big cities who are willing to try Starlink. It is unique in that these customers have access to traditional ISPs, ones that can offer faster internet speeds. These users may be big fans of Elon Musk, or they may not like the major internet providers.
Below is an explanation of distances from different counties.
Price Starlink
Starlink preorders currently cost $ 99 per month. But the service requires an upfront hardware fee of $ 499. That includes the small satellite dish that can be set up at home or business, as well as a router and power supply. There is also a $ 50 shipping and handling fee.
For anyone who wants to pre-order, he only has a $ 99 repayment investment. Order fulfillment can take up to six months or more.
Specs Starlink
Unlike other satellite internet providers, Starlink’s LEO satellites promise to offer low latency broadband speeds wherever you are. While Starlink initially boasted speeds of 1 Gbps, it has since reached that target to 10 Gbps. To put that in context, users would be able to download a 4K movie in less than 30 seconds. Starlink would be a key resource for people living in rural parts of the world.
Latency on Starlink is surprisingly low considering its satellite internet. Early beta tests show that Starlink averages 34 milliseconds. While that may not be as fast as fiber, which can go as low as 17 ms, any latency below 40 ms is hard for most applications. Some online games, especially hunters and fighting games, get the most benefit from low latency. But sports games or MOBAs will work well on Starlink.
Given this, it’s no surprise that OneWeb (part-owned by the UK government), Amazon’s Kuiper Project, Boeing, Telesat, and the Russian and Chinese governments are all designing a satellite internet constella.
However, getting a project of this size literally off the ground and into profit is a big task. While the Russian and Chinese governments can control the cost, companies like Starlink and Amazon are taking a big risk. Satellite internet constella has gone bankrupt.
There is also a lot of interest in when Starlink IPO would go live. In a tweet, Musk responded that an IPO is planned, but that would come after SpaceX had a more assured cash flow. For Musk and Starlink, the current goal is not to go bankrupt.
Starlink View
As broadband companies do not have competitors in many cases, Starlink and other internet constellaes are a welcome injection into competition. More importantly, the service enables connection segments at broadband speeds where there were no previous options.
For example, the Hoh Tribe, a Native American tribe located in the state of Western Washington on the Pacific coast, said that Starlink seemed to be “trapped into the 21st century. According to a Newsweek article, the Hoh Tribe tweeted that faster internet speeds were helping remote learning and access to health care.
Starlink’s wireless nature allows it to penetrate any part of the world, surpassing the need for cables. By doing this, rural areas that are still neglected can now be connected at broadband speeds. The cost of $ 99 is still too high for many parts of the world, but with Starlink seeing competition from other companies, prices are likely to fall over time.