What You Should Know About Elon Musk's Satellite Internet Service, Expounded by Starlink

 What You Should Know About Elon Musk's Satellite Internet Service, Expounded by Starlink

What You Should Know About Elon Musk's Satellite Internet Service, Expounded by Starlink

The CEO of SpaceX is still putting satellites into space to provide rural and distant areas with high-speed internet.

When you hear about billionaire businessman Elon Musk, your thoughts may go to his space exploration firm SpaceX, electric vehicle company Tesla, or his remarkable Twitter management. He's one of the wealthiest persons on the planet, as you may know.

Starlink could be less known to you. Musk's company wants to use an expanding network of private satellites in space to offer Internet access to almost everyone on the world.

Following many years of research at SpaceX, Starlink began to take off in 2021. After over two years and several successful launches, Starlink now claims to have over 4,200 operational satellites in space.

Starlink provides services to over a million places throughout all seven continents in the globe. The aspiring broadband provider is still confronted with a backlog of prospective clients who need to purchase equipment and start service, nevertheless.

Disputations do not spare Starlink. To begin with, scientists have expressed alarm about the growing influence of Starlink's low-Earth orbit satellites on night sky vision. Rivals in the satellite internet space, such as Viasat, HughesNet, and Amazon's Project Kuiper, have also noticed Starlink's speeds, which has led to regulatory backlash and Musk's attempts to scale down. Dish, for instance, has criticized Starlink, alleging that their satellite transmissions would be interfered with by 5G growth in the 12GHz range. Nearly two years after Starlink was awarded a $885.5 million grant by the Federal Communications Commission, the FCC changed course in August 2022 and terminated Starlink's subsidies, stating that the service "failed to complete" and "did not meet the program's requirements."

"We cannot afford to subsidize enterprises that are not delivering promised speeds or are unlikely to meet the program's requirements," said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, who also noted that Starlink's technology "holds real promise."

In 2023, we'll keep an eye on Starlink's development. Here's all you need to know about it for the time being.

Starlink: What is it?

While Starlink Spaceflight is officially a part of SpaceX, it also refers to the company's expanding constellation of orbiting satellites, or "constellations". Prototype satellites for the network were sent into orbit in 2018 after development on it started in 2015.

Since then, SpaceX has launched several rockets totaling hundreds of Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. The most recent launch took place on June 12 and added an additional 52 satellites to the constellation. With this, there have been around 4,600 satellite launches overall.

Are my house and the Internet connected via Starlink satellites?

That is the concept, yes.

Starlink has the same goals as other satellite internet providers HughesNet and Viasat: to sell internet access, particularly to those living in remote places and other parts of the globe without access to high-speed Internet.

According to the Starlink website, "Starlink is best suited for regions of the world where connectivity has traditionally been a challenge." "Starlink is capable of offering high-speed broadband Internet to locations lacking traditional ground connections Where access is unreliable or completely unavailable."

Installing a tiny satellite dish at your house to collect the signal and provide the bandwidth to your router is all it takes to connect. The business provides a number of mounting choices for patios, roofs, and your home's exterior. Additionally, there is an app called Starlink for iOS and Android that use augmented reality to assist users in selecting the ideal spot for their receiver.

According to a May tweet from the business' official Twitter account, Starlink currently boasts over 1.5 million customers to its service, which is accessible in the US, Canada, and a few other countries.

As more satellites join the constellation, anticipate seeing the coverage map expand. In the end, Starlink wants to provide useable, fast Wi-Fi connections all across the world, even in moving cars and on airplanes.

What speed is Starlink going to provide you?

The internet speed-tracking website Ookla said that Starlink provided average download speeds of around 67 Mbps in the US during the first quarter of 2023 after analyzing satellite internet performance. Compared to late 2021, when Starlink's average download speed was slightly over 100Mbps, this is a considerable fall. Even yet, the findings are more than four times the average number for HughesNet and almost double that of Viasat, a competing satellite provider. Starlink, however, falls far short of the statistics for the total fixed broadband category (193Mbps), which includes other home-delivered connection options such as satellite.

According to Starlink's website, most customers "Deliver speeds of over 100Mbps," with download speeds averaging between 25 and 220 Mbps. "Data speeds, latency, and uptime is going to enhance dramatically as we launch fewer satellites, deploy more ground stations, and further optimize our networking software."

In light of this, Musk said in a tweet from February 2021 that the service will quadruple its peak speed to 300 Mbps by the end of the same year. Such statements don't appear plausible in 2023, particularly in light of the Ookla findings.

CNET's John Kim registered for Starlink at his California home in 2021 and started using it in different places for testing. Their average download speed and latency at home were 78 Mbps and 36 ms, respectively. Watch the video above to see more of his first thoughts.

What is the value of Starlink?

First-come, first-served orders are now being accepted by Starlink; thus, you will need to request service, pay a $99 deposit, and then wait through the backlog. Starlink said during its beta in 2021 that it would take up to six months to complete certain pre-orders; as of right now, Starlink is stating that new orders might not be fulfilled until late 2023 in some locations.

The mountable satellite dish and router, which you had to install at home, cost $499 initially, and the service was originally invoiced at $99 per month (taxes and fees included). Despite the prior forecast by SpaceX officials that hardware costs will go down over time, SpaceX increased those fees to $599 upfront and $120 each month in March 2022.

For an Internet connection, particularly one that isn't as fast as a fiber connection, $120 a month is a lot. Musk, meanwhile, is placing a wager that individuals who have not yet had access to a dependable link would find the expense worthwhile. Nevertheless, Starlink does provide a $90 a month plan for residents in "high availability locations." However, the great majority, or "most locations," as they are referred to on the website, will have to pay a $120 monthly charge.

Gwynne Shotwell, President of SpaceX, said in April 2021 that Starlink has no intention of introducing service tiers and intended to maintain pricing as straightforward and uncomplicated as feasible. This strategy was altered in 2022, however, when a new priority tier was introduced. It had download rates ranging from 40 to 220 Mbps and a scanning array twice as big as the basic plan. There are three plans available at that level, with monthly costs of $250, $500, or $1,500, plus a $2,500 device down payment.

Where is Starlink service available?

The Starlink service is now only available in a few locations across many nations, despite its stated goal of covering the whole planet at this point. Nevertheless, the coverage map will be further expanded by adding additional satellites to the constellation.

According to Musk, the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Portugal, Australia, as well as New Zealand are among the nations now covered by the expanding network of low-Earth orbit satellites. Holland. The presale agreement from Starlink gives customers the option to request service in other nations, such as Chile, Italy, Poland, and Spain.

There's still work to be done. Starlink can't claim to cover most of the globe with full coverage until it has at least 10,000 satellites in orbit, but SpaceX has hinted that it may eventually reach more than 42,000 in the constellation. desires). That covers a range of 45 to 53 degrees north latitude, which is still less than half that distance.

Starlink was added to the FCC's roster of broadband providers lately, and by the end of May 2023, around 97% of Americans had access to the service.

What makes using satellite service preferable? Is fiber not quick?

Although fiber-optic cable, which is installed underground, provides Internet at far higher upload and download rates than satellite service, it takes a while to bring fiber to houses, as businesses like Google can attest to. The infrastructure that is required is not being deployed at a rapid rate. This does not imply that launching satellites into orbit is difficult or complicated. However, there is every reason to think that services like Starlink will reach large portions of underprivileged regions long before fiber, especially with fewer shrewd rivals and far less red tape. According to recent FCC filings, Starlink may someday function as a dedicated phone service as well.

Remember that we are discussing Elon Musk as well. The only business on Earth with a reusable, landable rocket that can send cargo after payload into space is SpaceX. In the competition for commercial space, this is a major benefit. Furthermore, Musk said in 2018 that Starlink will assist in bringing in the money required for SpaceX to realize its long-held goal of building a base on Mars.

It's also conceivable that SpaceX will try to build a constellation of satellites on the Red Planet if that time ever arrives. This implies that future Martian or Doubling trips by Starlink subscribers might serve as test subjects for the wireless network.

In 2016, during a discussion on the company's long-term plans for Starlink, Shotwell said, "If you are going to send a million people to Mars, you better provide some way enabling them to communicate." "Some terrible, old stuff." Accept the radio of the times as it is. On Mars, they'll want their Android or iPhone."

The terms of service for Starlink include references to Musk's intentions for Mars, as CNET's Jesse Orel pointed out in a Starlink video. One such instance is when the document states:

"The Parties acknowledge Mars as an independent planet for services rendered on Mars or while traveling there in starships or other colonized vessels, and no government on Earth shall have any influence over operations on Mars. However, neither sovereignty nor authority exist.

However, because of the enormous distances that each transmission must travel, Starlink's satellite Internet, with peak speeds now listed at 220 Mbps, will never be able to match gigabit fiber speeds that humans on Earth could ever utilize. requires a round-trip journey. A trip up into the stratosphere from your house. This contributes to latency as well, so if you're conversing with someone by satellite, you'll often notice odd pauses in the exchange.

Starlink asserts that by putting satellites in orbit at lower altitudes than previously—60 times closer to Earth's surface than conventional satellites—it will exceed current expectations for satellite connections. since of the low-Earth orbit strategy, there is less delay since the Starlink signals must travel a shorter distance.

Does inclement weather impact service?

Having to deal with bad weather is undoubtedly a drawback of satellite internet. Starlink's FAQ states that although the receiver may melt ice on top of it, it is powerless to remove surrounding ice formations and other obstructions that can obstruct its path to the satellite.

"We suggest installing Starlink in a location that avoids ice build-up as well as other obstructions blocking the field of view," according to the FAQ. "Heavy rain or wind can also affect your satellite Internet connection, which might trigger slow speeds or rare outages."

Are there any further Starlink satellite issues?

The expansion of privately owned satellites in orbit is a major source of worry, and the effect of low-orbit satellites on the night sky is a topic of debate in astronomical circles.

The International Astronomical Union released an alarming statement in 2019 that warned of unanticipated effects for stargazing and the safety of animals at night, not long after Starlink's initial broadband satellite deployment.

"We do not yet understand the consequences of these thousands of visible satellites scattered around the night sky and, despite their good intentions, these celestial beings may pose a threat to both constellations," added the statement.

Starlink has now started testing a number of configurations meant to improve the satellites' visibility and glare. The business tested a "Darksat" satellite with a unique, non-reflective covering at the beginning of 2020. Afterwards, the business deployed a "VisorSat" satellite with a unique sunshade visor in June 2020. Another set of satellites was launched by Starlink in August, but this time, they were all fitted with visors.

"We want to make sure we do an opportunity thing to make sure young children have access to sight through their binoculars," Shotwell said. "They benefit from seeing Starlink. However, they must observe the Moon and Saturn and they do not like to be disturbed."

"Starlink teams have worked closely alongside leading astronomers around the world to better comprehend both the nuances of their observations and engineering changes that the are able to be made to reduce the satellite's brightness," according to the business's website.

Where can I find out more details on Starlink?

Stay tuned as we at CNET continue to examine Starlink growth from a number of perspectives. Additionally, you want to pay attention to Eric Mack's outstanding coverage on Starlink. He carefully looks at the project's objectives and difficulties, as well as the consequences for underprivileged Internet users and astronomers worried about light pollution obstructing their ability to see the night sky.

We also want to keep testing Starlink's network on our own as it grows. We'll fill you in on all the details as soon as we discover more about satellite internet service.