Starlink has promised to reach the entire world by this time, but as of right now, its service is only available in a few areas across many nations. Nevertheless, as more satellites join the constellation, the coverage map will expand significantly.
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As per Musk, the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Portugal, Australia, and New Zealand are among the nations that are now served by the expanding network of low-earth orbit satellites. Options to request service in additional countries, such as Italy, Poland, Spain, and Chile, are included in Starlink’s presale agreement.
Until Starlink can say that it provides complete coverage to most of the world, it will probably need at least 10,000 satellites in orbit (though SpaceX has said that it wants as many as 42,000 satellites in the constellation). With coverage concentrated in the areas between 45 and 53 degrees north latitude, it’s still less than half way there.
Nearly 97% of Americans had access to Starlink as of late May 2023, according to the FCC, which just included the company to its directory of broadband providers.
What makes using satellite service preferable? Fiber is quicker, right?
Although fiber, or internet via ground-laid fiber-optic cable, offers upload and download rates far faster than satellite internet, constructing the infrastructure required to send fiber to people’s homes is not fast, as firms like Google will attest to. That is not to argue that launching satellites into orbit is an easy task. However, there are plenty of reasons to think that services like Starlink will reach the majority of underprivileged places long before fiber does, thanks to fewer shrewd rivals and a lot less red tape to navigate. According to recent FCC filings, Starlink may eventually function as a dedicated phone service as well.
And remember that we are discussing Elon Musk here. 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 travel, that is a significant edge. Furthermore, Musk stated in 2018 that Starlink will assist in bringing in the money required for SpaceX to finance its long-standing goal of establishing a facility on Mars.
It’s also conceivable that SpaceX will attempt to create a satellite constellation on the red planet if that day ever comes. This implies that users of Starlink may also be acting as beta testers for future Martian wireless networks.
On the company’s long-term plan for Starlink, Shotwell stated in 2016 that “you better provide some way for them to communicate if you send a million people to Mars.” “I don’t think some awful, antiquated radios will satisfy the people who travel to Mars. On Mars, they’ll desire their Android or iPhones.”
“For services provided on Mars, or in transit to Mars via Starship or other colonization spacecraft, the parties recognize Mars as a free planet and that no Earth-based government has authority or sovereignty over Martian activities.”
Even so, Starlink’s satellite internet will never get close to the gigabit fiber speeds that people on Earth are accustomed to anytime soon, with top speeds currently limited to 220Mbps. This is because of the enormous distance that each transmission must travel in order to get from your home to the stratosphere. This element also increases latency, so if you’re speaking with someone over a satellite link, you’ll frequently notice uncomfortable pauses in the discussion.
By putting satellites into orbit at lower altitudes than previously—60 times closer to Earth’s surface than regular satellites, according to the company’s claims—Starlink promises to exceed current expectations for satellite connections. Because of the low-earth orbit strategy, there is less delay because the Starlink signals must travel a shorter distance.
Does inclement weather impact service?
Unpredictable weather is undoubtedly a drawback of satellite internet. As stated in the Starlink FAQ, snow that falls on the receiver will melt it; nevertheless, snow buildup around the receiver and other obstacles that may restrict its path to the satellite will not be resolved by the receiver.
“We recommend installing Starlink in a location that avoids snow build-up and other obstructions from blocking the field of view,” according to the FAQ. “Heavy rain or wind can also affect your satellite internet connection, potentially leading to slower speeds or a rare outage.”
Are there any more Starlink satellite problems?
The growth of privately owned satellites in orbit and the influence of low-orbiting satellites on the night sky are major concerns in the astronomy community.
2019 saw the International Astronomical Union issue a dire warning over unanticipated consequences for stargazing and the preservation of nocturnal species, just after Starlink’s initial broadband satellite deployment.
“We do not yet understand the impact of thousands of these visible satellites scattered across the night sky and despite their good intentions, these satellite constellations may threaten both,” the statement continues.
Starlink has since started testing a number of designs aimed at lessening the satellites’ brightness and visibility. The business tested a “DarkSat” satellite with a unique, non-reflective covering at the beginning of 2020. The business later deployed a “VisorSat” satellite with a unique sunshade visor in June 2020. Another set of satellites was launched by Starlink in August, and this time, they were all outfitted with visors.
“We want to make sure we do the right thing to make sure little kids can look through their telescope,” Shotwell stated. “They find it cool to see a Starlink. However, they shouldn’t want to be disturbed and should be gazing at the moon and Saturn.”
“The Starlink teams have worked closely with leading astronomers around the world to better understand the specifics of their observations and engineering changes we can make to reduce satellite brightness,” according to the business’s website.
