SpaceX is rapidly expanding its Starlink satellite internet service globally. On January 6 the company launched 46 internet-beaming satellites that increased the Starlink broadband constellation to nearly 2,000 satellites in Low Earth Orbit, out of 12,000 that will initially make up the network. During the live broadcast of the satellite launch on Thursday, SpaceX shared that the constellation is already providing internet service to over 145,000 users across 25 countries, including: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, United States, and United Kingdom.
Most recently, SpaceX Starlink became available in more European countries. Starlink became available in Slovakia and Czech Republic, according to locals who signed up to receive updates about when service would be available in their area. SpaceX e-mailed potential Starlink customers living in the neighboring countries in Central Europe this week. “Users can expect to see download speeds between 100 Mb/s [Megabits per second] and 200 Mb/s and latency as low as 20ms in most locations,” the email says. The company is fulfilling service orders on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis. “To check availability for your location visit Starlink.com and re-enter your service address. If Starlink is not yet available in your area, you can place a deposit to hold your space in line for future service,” the company wrote.
To pre-order the internet service, customers pay a $99 USD deposit. The Starlink Kit, which includes a phased-array antenna and Wi-Fi router costs $499 USD which is not charged until service becomes available in the customer’s specific address. Currently, SpaceX is primarily focused on providing internet service to rural and remote communities worldwide. Read more: SpaceX Launch Increases Starlink Constellation Size To Nearly 2,000 Internet-Beaming Satellites In Orbit
SpaceX Launch Increases Starlink Constellation Size To Nearly 2,000 Internet-Beaming Satellites In Orbithttps://t.co/MzzdJHNARO
— Tesmanian.com (@Tesmanian_com) January 7, 2022
Source: Slovakia Starlink Customer via Reddit
Featured Image Source: SpaceX
About the Author
Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo
Evelyn J. Arevalo joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover news as a Space Journalist and SpaceX Starbase Texas Correspondent. Evelyn is specialized in rocketry and space exploration. The main topics she covers are SpaceX and NASA.
