With the goal of funding their plans to colonise Mars, Elon Musk and his team at SpaceX have designed a new satellite network called ‘Starlink’ which will provide high-quality broadband internet around the world.
The internet has been one of the most significant democratising forces in history, linking people all over the world and enabling rapid communication and data transfer. All of that value, however, is only available to individuals who are lucky enough to be able to afford the cost. In fact, 40% of the world’s population does not have access to the internet or is unable to avail of the internet at minimum broadband speed. Most internet options require an extensive track of costly underground cables, leaving many rural locations offline. More than 68% of homes in lower-middle-income nations and 90% of those in low-income countries do not have access to the internet, according to The Economist’s Intelligence Unit. Furthermore, even in areas where the internet is accessible, typical download speeds are not always sufficient. The speed of the internet varies drastically around the world. The average download speed in high-income countries will be 6.4 times that of low-income countries.
Luckily, Elon Musk, along with his budding team at SpaceX, is here to solve the problem with his new satellite internet service called Starlink. Considering that this one man has conquered it all – whether it be disrupting digital payments, building reusable rockets or altering transportation with electric vehicles and high-speed underground mass transportation – it’s not surprising that Elon Musk is frequently referred to as the modern-day Steve Jobs. While the list of Musk’s ambitious ideas does not end with the ones listed above, one thing is clear – each endeavour Musk undertakes is more daring than the one before it. Starlink, a branch of SpaceX that promises to provide internet connectivity around the world is no exception. Musk hopes to send 42000 satellites to space; 15 times the number of operational satellites in orbit today. These satellites will be a part of Starlink’s expansive constellation promising no buffering and nearly instantaneous results when surfing the internet.
What is Starlink, and why is it so important? Starlink is currently a beta service by SpaceX that provides high-speed, low-latency broadband internet to rural communities using low orbiting satellites. Basically, it’s the world’s most advanced satellite internet service. At the moment, there are over 1000 Starlink satellites in orbit delivering internet access to beta customers, and SpaceX is regularly launching more satellites into space. Starlink plans to launch the 40,000 strong satellites constellation into the earth’s lower orbit using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets. Its antennas on the ground would then connect to these satellites, allowing for smooth internet access practically everywhere on the planet.
Where Starlink shines compared to other satellite internet services is in its low-latency capability. Latency is the time it takes to send data from one point to the next when satellites are far from earth. Higher latency results in poor performance for activities like video calls and online gaming. As Starlink satellites are over 60 times closer to the ground compared to traditional satellites, it results in lower latency and better performance. Not only that, Starlink’s speeds are significantly faster compared to other satellite internet services.
Currently, during the beta period, Starlink customers can expect to see data speeds from 50 Mbps to 150 Mbps and latency from 20 ms to 40 ms in most locations. Those are impressive numbers considering that the magical invisible internet data is travelling to and from space. Starlink doesn’t have any data caps at the moment. Orders are to be fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis and anyone can input their address on starlink.com to see if it’s available. Presently, is giving access only to a limited number of users per coverage area and is delivering initial beta services both domestically and internationally.
Without a doubt, Starlink will broaden internet access across the world. In most regions of the world, setting up an internet connection necessitates the assistance of an ISP technician. The user-friendly Starlink kit, however, allows consumers to set up and connect to the internet on their own. A Starlink kit typically includes a Starlink antenna, a Wi-Fi router, power supply, cables and mounting tripod.
One drawback, however, is that the price of Starlink in a third-world country, as compared to a first-world one, may simply widen the digital divide. While Starlink claims to provide high-speed internet connectivity to the world’s most distant locations, its pricing is nowhere close to being cost effective in middle- and low-income countries. To set up a Starlink kit includes a one-time cost of USD 499 and a monthly subscription fee of USD 99. Both of these costs are astronomically high for a country like Bangladesh.
Musk hopes to send 42000 satellites to space; 15 times the number of operational satellites in orbit today. These satellites will be a part of Starlink’s expansive constellation promising no buffering and nearly instantaneous results when surfing the internet.
Only 8.6 million people in Bangladesh have access to the internet via broadband. In a poll performed by The Economist, the country is placed 70th (out of 100 countries) on internet inclusion. The average bandwidth pricing in this area is BDT 400 per Mbps (2020). In comparison, a monthly subscription to Starlink would cost BDT 8,400 (at current exchange rates). The cost is nearly 21 times higher than what Bangladeshi broadband subscribers are now paying.
Starlink has also been marred by controversy. Astronomers claim that the satellite constellation causes light pollution, hampering their studies. Others argue that the large number of satellites in low-earth orbit poses a risk of space debris. SpaceX claims to be collaborating with astronomers in order to reduce light pollution. Starlink also intends to avoid its satellites from becoming space trash, according the business.
Clearly, the digital divide is widening over the world. Only about 10% of low-income households have an internet connection. While programs like Starlink have the ability to connect these homes to global markets, the cost is an impediment. Only time will tell if Musk can genuinely overcome the hurdles and fulfil his goal of uniting the world.
Starlink’s popularity and availability is fast growing, especially with Elon Musk’s recent statement that the service has been made available in Ukraine. SpaceX is about to ship the next generation, gen 2 of Starlink satellites into orbit, as Musk continues to build on this mega constellation network. He has confirmed more changes and upgrades in the coming time. Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starlink internet has evolved from a futuristic concept to a rapidly growing broadband satellite internet company with fast speed and unlimited data. Starlink is presently available in 25 countries and has a customer base of 250,000 people.