SpaceX is already an internet service provider in 16 countries worldwide. The company is working to build and maintain a reliable Starlink broadband satellite internet infrastructure capable of delivering connection to rural and remote regions on Earth. The aerospace company envisions obtaining enough customers to help fund the development of a Starship fleet to enable astronauts to build the first sustainable colony on Mars. Long-term, Starlink internet customers will be supporting SpaceX’s ultimate goal to make life multiplanetary.

The company has been slowly expanding their coverage capacity with every satellite fleet launched. It started providing ‘Better Than Nothing Beta’ internet service last year to select-customers who preordered via Starlink.com. During Beta, SpaceX set its customers expectations ‘low,’ that is why the program’s name is ‘better than nothing’. They told potential customers that their internet download speeds would vary during the Beta phase of the network, ranging from 50Mbps to 150Mbps (megabits per second). As they launched more satellites to space, Starlink started to demonstrate its capability to provide an even faster internet speed. SpaceX founder Elon Musk shared that Starlink is ready to exit Beta mode this month and expand its coverage area.

Starlink currently beams Beta internet to a bit over 100,000 customers who live in the United States, Canada, Chile, United Kingdom, France, Austria, Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Portugal, New Zealand, Australia, and Germany. This week Starlink became available across all of Germany.  Some Starlink Beta users from around the world report internet download speeds have surpassed 150Mbps. SpaceX officials said they aim to provide internet service with download speeds of 300Mbps and low-latency of 20ms (milliseconds) before this year ends. Multiple Beta users shared via Reddit that they already experienced download speeds over 250Mbps.

With approximately 1,797 internet-beaming Starlink satellites in orbit SpaceX aims to exit Beta mode and make the service available for United States customers ‘nationwide’ by the end of October, including southern states like Texas and Louisiana. –“Should be nationwide rollout by end of month. Note, still limited by peak number of users in same area,” Musk shared via Twitter, “This will improve as more satellites are launched,” he said.

“Starlink is designed for low to medium population density, which means we can hit max users in some areas fast,” Musk wrote in a follow-up Tweet, “Please sign up early to ensure a spot. As more satellites roll out, SpaceX will be able to serve more.” For more information on preordering visit the company’s official website: Starlink.com.

Overall, the Starlink constellation could have up to 20,000 Starlink satellites that will be launched over the course of seven years. SpaceX already has permission to operate 1 million Starlink dish antennas in the United States and is pending approval for 5 million more. The dish antenna and Wi-Fi router needed to connect to the network is priced at $499 USD, plus a $99 USD monthly service fee. "Starlink is ideally suited for areas of the globe where connectivity has typically been a challenge. Unbounded by traditional ground infrastructure, Starlink can deliver high-speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable or completely unavailable," the company's website says.  

Starlink is designed for low to medium population density, which means we can hit max users in some areas fast.

Please sign up early to ensure a spot. As more satellites roll out, SpaceX will be able to serve more. https://t.co/Q1VvqVmJ2i

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 7, 2021

Should be nationwide rollout by end of month. Note, still limited by peak number of users in same area.

This will improve as more satellites are launched.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 7, 2021

 Featured Image Source: SpaceX