Hop on the Starlink Express
Editorial Credit: AleksandrMorrisovich / Shutterstock.com
Engineered by SpaceX
A mysterious string of lights was recently seen over Texas and other parts of the country. For me, that image brought up the classic introduction to that old black & white TV show. “Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…” This time, though, it wasn’t Superman. Or “weather balloons,” as the Pentagon always insists. Or even aliens. It was a series of SpaceX Starlink satellites from Elon Musk, and I am excited and totally onboard with this, his latest venture!
SpaceX is leveraging its experience in building rockets and spacecraft to deploy the world’s most advanced broadband internet system. As the world’s leading provider of launch services – and the only provider with an orbital class reusable rocket – SpaceX has deep experience with both spacecraft and in-orbit operations.
The next step in human connectivity
Starlink is an interlinking communications satellite constellation, with the goal of providing fast, reliable internet service to everyone on the planet. Potential proceeds will help fund research and development Musk’s SpaceX mission to Mars. The next steps would be to colonize Mars and provide them with their own satellites, to connect Earth and Mars. It would be the first orbiting multi-planetary system.
High-speed, low latency
Starlink is delivering initial beta service both domestically and internationally, and will continue expansion to virtually all of the populated world this year.
During this beta stage, users can expect to see data speeds vary from 50Mb/s to 150Mb/s, with latency from 20ms to 40ms in most locations over the next several months as the Starlin Starlink system continues to be enhanced. There will also be brief periods of no connectivity at all.
As more satellites are launched, more ground stations installed and network software improved, data speed, latency and uptime will improve dramatically.
Easy set up
My Starlink Kit arrived with everything I needed to get online, including the Starlink, wi-fi router, power supply, cables and mounting tripod. It took me minutes to install.
The Starlink unit requires a clear view of the sky is to connect to a satellite, and the Starlink App helped me determine the best installation location.
Low latency means video calls and online gaming
Latency is the time it takes to send data from one point to the next. Most satellites orbit about 500 miles from Earth. That means latency is high, with in poor performance for activities like video calls and online gaming.
Starlink satellites are over 60 times closer to Earth than traditional satellites, resulting in much lower latency and the ability to support services typically not possible with traditional satellite internet.
Ideal for rural or remote areas
Starlink is ideally suited for areas of the globe where there is limited or no access to high-speed Internet, such as wilderness or farmland. In fact, nearly half the world’s population has no access to the World Wide Web. Free of traditional ground infrastructure, Starlink delivers high-speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable or completely unavailable.
Photo Source: starlink.com
Preserving the night sky
The Starlink teams have worked closely with leading astronomers around the world to better understand the specifics of their observations, engineering changes designed specifically to reduce satellite brightness. Less light pollution, more natural beauty.
Catch the Starlink Express…near you!
Join me on the “Starlink Express” for more communication and more fun from faster online video calls and gaming. Go to starlink.com to learn more!