The Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on our lives. Many businesses are remote working, children and parents have adapted to home schooling and internet shopping has become a lifeline for many. Crucial to this new way of living is fast, safe and reliable access to the internet. It is now seen as an essential service and not just a nice to have. However, the pandemic has shone a light on our lack of digital infrastructure in rural areas. Is Starlink, a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite internet system (developed by SpaceX) the solution?
What is Starlink?
Starlink (engineered by billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX) is essentially a revolutionary satellite internet service. It aims to use a constellation of thousands of small satellites (currently 1,443) in low-Earth orbit, to provide fast, accessible internet access across the globe. Although still in beta testing, SpaceX has stated that they are rolling out Starlink across the globe in the next 3 to 5 months. If successful, it could provide high speed broadband to rural communities in this country where connectivity is generally poor or non-existent.
Starlink Internet Speed
In the past, traditional satellite based internet platforms have suffered from two main issues, latency and data speed.
- Latency
This is the time it takes for a signal to travel from your computer to your ISP (Internet Service Provider) to the website service and then back to you. It is dependent on the physical distance the data must travel.
Starlink uses satellites on a low earth orbit which are more than sixty times closer to earth than traditional satellites. Beta testing shows average latency times of 39ms, compared to 50ms for typical 4g mobile networks
2. Data speed
This is the maximum rate for sending or receiveing data.
Starlink uses laser technology to transmit data which means it is transmitted at the speed of light
In fact, Starlink download speeds are reaching 103Mb/sec. on average during beta testing. This far outstrips other satellite options as well as current “superfast” broadband capability.
Ongoing satellite launches, additional ground stations and improved networking software will continue to improve performance. SpaceX expects Starlink to have achieved near global coverage of the populated world in 2021.
Starlink set up requirements
A “self-assembly” Starlink kit comprises
- Starlink dish (This requires a clear sky view. You can download an app to determine the best location)
- Wi-Fi router
- Power supply
- Cables
- Tripod
Starlink is relatively easy to set up with a “plug and play” approach.
How much does Starlink cost?
Starlink costs are initially quite high with necessary hardware costing around £439. On top of this, there is a monthly subscription of £84 per month. However, it is anticipated that as competition increases e.g. OneWeb prices will come down.
Is Starlink available in the UK?
Starlink is currently available to a limited number of users in Southern England, parts of Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Northern England. To check availability in your location you can visit starlink.com and enter your address.
Are there any downsides?
Many already consider the amount of space debris we have created a big problem. Past rocket/spacecraft launches, old satellites etc. have produced thousands of pieces of “space junk”. The addition of tens of thousands of low orbiting satellites will make this problem worse. If SpaceX reaches its target of 42,000 deployed satellites, even a very low 3% failure rate would lead to over 1200 extra dead satellites orbiting the earth.
The astronomy community have also raised concerns about interference with their radio channels as well as the bright streaks that the bright low orbiting satellites leave across their telescopes’ fields of view.
Although still in its early stages it looks likely that Starlink will be able to improve internet connectivity across the UK as well as across the globe. However, it will have competition. OneWeb (now jointly owned by the UK Government and Bharti Global), Amazon’s Project Kuiper and many others are currently working hard on developing and launching their own global internet services from space.
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