The Internet is very important in our digital lifestyle. We assume it is available everywhere we go. At the office, home and from your smartphone via a mobile service provider. Internet access through public Wi-Fi has made the network available in many locations. At the mall, cafe, restaurant and even public parks. Free access to Wi-Fi is also offered at doctor’s clinics, hospitals, public library and even when you are shopping at a local department store. Unfortunately it is not always available, especially in remote and rural areas.
This is when it becomes necessary to consider alternatives and satellite Internet has been one of them. SpaceX is a new entrant to the Internet service market by offering Starlink. It is a satellite Internet service. What is good about Starlink is that it will be supported by a network of satellites that are available all over the world. Its aim is not just to provide faster Internet, but to enable access to fast Internet in areas where there is a need for Internet access. That includes areas that are less served by Internet providers. An example would be rural areas where it may not be possible to get fast Internet from existing service providers.
Solving A Real World Problem
When you don’t live in a major city or perhaps prefer a more rural setting, Internet access can be more of a challenge. It is not readily available for service due to many factors. One of those factors is the market. Living outside a major city is less lucrative for some Internet Service Providers (ISP) because the market is small. This means less investments or incentives to build networks where there are no profits.
Another reason besides being outside of the major markets, is that the area may not be geographically suitable for service. Some providers just cannot offer any Internet in those areas even if it falls under their service because they do not have the infrastructure available. This is once again due to a lack of a major market, especially in rural areas. There could be less than 10 families living in those areas, and from a business perspective, it doesn’t make much sense to invest in a network that will incur more costs from operations.
Some of these areas do eventually get Internet service. However, it is not at the same level of standard as what users living near major cities get. It is often slower and more prone to disturbances in terms of availability. Some users try to use their smartphone 4G service, but it can be more expensive as it eats data from their subscription plan. Unlimited data access from mobile service providers is available too, but not to all customers. It may depend on where they live. There are also other issues with unlimited plans, like bandwidth throttling after a certain amount of data has been consumed and restrictions on tethering a home computer to access the Internet.
The Starlink Satellite Network
Starlink consists of a satellite network (aka Constellation) that occupies the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) space, which has an altitude of 2,000 km (or less). SpaceX plans to deploy around 42,000 satellites following a LEO around the Earth. LEO provides more available routes for Starlink satellites to travel, rather than a fixed path like on a Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO). The deployment of many satellites is possible using LEO. It is also not located too far up in space, meaning that there should be less lag compared to traditional satellite systems.
Starlink satellites utilize the Ku band spectrum to deliver low latency and high speed Internet. This band uses frequencies in the range of 12–18 GHz (IEEE Standard 521–2002). This allows signals to be sent down to Earth using smaller sized parabolic antenna dishes rather than the larger type used in astronomical research facilities.
The Starlink service is in its beta phase (i.e. Better Than Nothing) in early 2021. According to their website:
During beta, users can expect to see data speeds vary from 50Mb/s to 150Mb/s and latency from 20ms to 40ms in most locations over the next several months as we enhance the Starlink system. There will also be brief periods of no connectivity at all.
Things will improve with more ground stations and satellites deployed. The ground stations will still be needed to relay signals from the satellites in LEO to the users on their Starlink satellite dish. At the moment the service is made available in certain areas only, mainly in the northern part of the world (e.g. high latitude areas).
The average speed of an Internet connection in the US is 70 Mbps according to Speedtest. While it is still possible to attain higher speeds using fiber with Gigabit Internet service like that provided by Google, a Starlink connection can at times deliver faster speed. That is depending on the location, the signal and throughput available to the user. According to a report, 24% of rural Americans say access to a broadband Internet service is an issue. Even in the most rural parts of the US, access to the Internet is considered important.
Starlink does not seem to compete with ISP and other Internet providers when it comes to speed. It is instead a fast Internet option that is made available to less served areas. Rural areas in particular will benefit from the service. There are already plenty of providers in major cities and more bandwidth is being offered with upcoming 5G networks. A 5G connection is probably going to be more stable and faster for urban users compared to Starlink.
Synopsis And Takeaways
The Starlink service will not be cheap for most people. The service will cost $99 a month and will require the purchase of a $499 kit that includes the satellite dish, router and power supply. It has a high initial cost, but if it can deliver the Internet to users than it is a worthy expense. It is probably not practical to use Starlink when you are in the city, where there are just way too many options. From public Wi-Fi, Gigabit Internet broadband service and high speed 5G networks that cost much less at standard rates. Starlink may seem overkill. Starlink may also have problems in densely populated areas where obstructions and EMI can affect the satellite signals. It must be installed in clear space where it is not being obstructed by any structure or object.
While there are existing alternatives that have been around for years, Starlink is going to make the Internet available even in the remotest parts of the world. This is due to the number of satellites that Starlink will have available to provide that service. The planned number of satellites that form the Starlink constellation have not even been fully deployed. As more satellites are added to increase coverage, this will be good news for digital workers, nomads and rural dwellers who live and work in the areas far from terrestrial service availability.
