SpaceX Launches New Starlink Satellites
What is Starlink? How does it work?
Starlink is a project of the company SpaceX which aims at delivering high- speed internet anywhere on Earth. The billionaire SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk, promises to deliver fast internet to everyone on Earth. The aim is to transmit internet data by radio signals, not by cables anymore. The broadband internet network will be connected by satellite constellation (thousands of satellites). A new set of these satellites have been launched to space recently. It was estimated in 2018 that Satrlink constellation cost will be $10 billion.The project started in 2015. They began with two satellites in 2018, and additional ones followed in 2019 and 2020. Sixty satellites were launched on April, 7th 2021. SpaceX now has 1378 satellites in orbit. Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer of SpaceX, said ‘We do have global reach, but we don’t have yet full connectivity globally.’ The company announced it will reach the size of constellation needed to cover the globe after four to five launches to come.
The company is planning to increase the capacity by launching more satellites. It is planning to launch polar orbit satellites this summer which will include laser intersatellite links.
Starlink equipment and Costs
Starlink is now in a beta test (Better Than Nothing) in the US and some other countries and they still need further work to make the network more reliable. Most of the customers are in rural and remote areas there. When it becomes ready, it will move to full commercial services. But, what about equipment customers need? In fact, they need a satellite dish and a Wi-Fi router that the company will deliver to you. They are relatively expensive as they cost $3000. However, the company is trying to reduce the cost significantly to $500. People in rural areas reported that the fast internet services they have now make the cost worth it.
What about other costs?
SpaceX charge for Starlink beta service is $99. “I don't think we're going to do tiered pricing to consumers. We're going to try to keep it as simple as possible and transparent as possible, so right now there are no plans to tier for consumers.” This is what the president of the company said. This means the company will not be charging different prices for different speeds. No extra fees if you exceed the limit because there will be the same fees for all customers.
But what about those who can not even afford this price? SpaceX will probably offer cheaper solutions for them. It will provide discount services for them.
When will the service be available?
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk clarified that Starlink's advertised beta speeds are 50Mbps to 150Mbps, with latency of 20 ms to 40 ms. He added speeds will reach 300Mbps later this year and become available to "most of Earth" by the end of 2021.
Starlink problems?
One of the future fears is congestion. As too many users will be using the service, there might be congestion problems. In fact, SpaceX has not discussed that issue yet. Another problem has do with Starlink in bad weather conditions. Actually, users are happy with the service even in cold or rainy times. That is because the satellite dish can melt any ice on it because it has a heater built inside. But, of course, it cannot melt any snow surrounding it. That is why it is recommended that satellites be installed in a convenient place away from snow.
To conclude, Elon Musk's satellite internet technology is a great step that proves that technology has no limits.
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