What is "Starlink"?
SpaceX, which specializes in space exploration and flight services, established in 2015 an internal sector called "Starlink"
Which specializes in providing satellite Internet services, and the sector aims to form a network of 12,000 satellites to cover the entire Earth with the satellite Internet.
After a series of attempts and experiments, "Starlink" was able to launch its first experimental satellites into space in 2018
And from that time until now, the number of satellites deployed in low orbit around the Earth has reached more than two thousand satellites.
The idea of "Starlink" is to provide Internet services to all people, especially in remote places where there is no infrastructure that allows its residents to obtain terrestrial Internet
Which depends on terrestrial cables, as well as the lack of good coverage of mobile wireless networks, according to the service's website.
How can I get the "Starlink" service?
Obtaining satellite Internet services from Starlink and other service providers depends on acquiring terrestrial receiving equipment, which is a receiving dish installed at the top of the house, and connected to a device that distributes the signal wirelessly inside the house, which perfectly acts as a “router”.
Starlink has been gradually expanding its service offering over the past two years, reaching 100,000 people worldwide.
Starlink speed
According to the service’s website, the speeds of the satellite Internet with “Starlink” range between 50 megabits and 150 megabits per second
And the communication delay rate ranges between 20 and 40 milliseconds
But the service indicated that this is expected to improve significantly over the coming period, with the launch of More satellites, of which the company has already launched a large number during 9 launches since the beginning of this year, in addition to expanding the spread of ground receiving stations.
Elon Musk had promised that at the end of last year, Internet speeds with "Starlink" would reach 300 megabits, twice the current maximum speed, but this has not yet been achieved.
But by measuring those speeds with the maximum Internet speeds based on optical fibers, you will find that the difference is very large, as fiber Internet speeds reach 2 gigabits per second, that is, nearly 7 times faster.
The "satellite internet" remains an ideal solution for the residents of remote areas, who do not have any internet connection, after many previous attempts to provide internet services to them failed, if some of them came from major companies such as Google with its Project Loon to connect the internet through giant flying balloons, And a huge "meta" Aquila.
Service cost and availability
Users bear an initial cost of $500, in return for subscribing to the service and obtaining the necessary equipment to receive the signal from a receiving dish and a “router” to distribute the signal internally, in addition to $100 as a monthly subscription to the service.
Despite the high cost compared to the speed of “Starlink” compared to the prices and speeds of the traditional fiber-based Internet, the president of “SpaceX”, Gwen Schott Weil, believes that this cost will decrease significantly during the coming period, especially with the development of design and production processes for satellites. Industrial as well as receivers.
Elon Musk confirmed that "Starlink" seeks to provide its services in all parts of the world, except for the poles, as the service is already available in the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Ireland, Portugal, and New Zealand, in addition to the start of receiving pre-booking requests in some countries such as Poland and Spain. And Chile.
The service is expected to reach numerous countries in 2023, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt, according to the service's website.