Tech

Starlink: Elon Musk makes lofty promises for satellite internet

Published

3 years ago

June 30, 2021

Elon Musk’s satellite network Starlink is on track to reach a huge new milestone in satellite internet coverage by August

Elon Musk says SpaceX’s satellite network Starlink is on track to beam broadband internet across the entire planet (bar the arctics) by August, with half a million users within a year.

“We’re on our way to having a few hundred thousand users, possibly over 500,000 users within 12 months,” he said. SpaceX has already launched over 1500 satellites, with Starlink operational in about a dozen countries.

There is the internal goal if things go right, which needs to be aggressive. Obviously, some things will not go right internally & there will be external issues too.

That said, I think we can stack an orbital ship on an orbital booster in July.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 29, 2021

“Filling in the gaps between 5G and fiber”

Musk considers Starlink to be “complementary” to existing 5G providers rather than directly competing with them.

“You can think of Starlink as filling in the gaps between 5G and fiber and really getting to the parts of the world that are the hardest to reach,” he said

SpaceX aims to offer broadband to parts of the world where conventional fibre and wireless networks can’t reach. The company plans to offer its technology to customers in rural areas, as well as governments seeking better internet connection.

Highlight's from Elon Musk's MWC keynote so far:
– Starlink has 69,420+ (ha) active users. Expecting 500K+ in 12 months
– Terminals cost $1K but sell for $500. Working on a cheaper "next generation" terminal
– Will attempt orbital Starship launch within the next few launches
— Jackie Wattles (@jackiewattles) June 29, 2021

SpaceX will also be orbiting in Google’s cloud?

Musk said he’s signed two deals with “major country” telecom operators

While he couldn’t name the operators yet, he said he’s also in discussions with more. Starlink is currently is its beta stage of development.

While costs are high, with many individual users are paying $99 per month, or $499 for a bundle including a self-aligning Starlink dish and Wi-Fi router.

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Natasha Schapova

Natasha is an Associate Producer at ticker NEWS with a Bachelor of arts from Monash University. She has previously worked at Sky News Australia and Monash University as an Online Content Producer.

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Portal between countries shut down after international flashing

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21 hours ago

May 16, 2024

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22 hours ago

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Does American media have TikTok bias?

Published

1 day ago

May 16, 2024

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Several investors are hoping to benefit from a new federal law that requires TikTok’s China-based parent company to sell the popular platform or face a ban.

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But as the saga continues many media outlets are defending the platform.

David Zhang from China Insider joins Veronica Dudo to discuss. #IN AMERICA TODAY #trending #TikTok #TikTokban #socialmedia #China