Staff
Musk's satellite internet service is on the home stretch, with a global launch expected this summer.
Elon Musk's aerospace company SpaceX announced back in 2015 that it would build a network of satellites capable of providing internet access in the most isolated parts of the world.
The first Starlink units were launched in February 2018, and the satellite fleet now consists of more than 1600 units.
In a talk at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Musk revealed that the service would be available worldwide from August. Musk also said that the Starlink service is currently available in 12 countries, with the number of countries being expanded every month.
It could cost SpaceX between $5 and $10 billion to build the network, which means that Starlink's internet is not cheap. It is offered for $99 per month and a $499 starter kit. Like many startups, they are currently losing money, the antenna costs them $1,300 to produce for, which is much more than what they charge, but they are already working to bring this down to $250 or $300 with cheaper but equally effective solutions.
Musk highlights that Starlink will serve around 3-5% of the global population who don't have high-speed internet access.
One disadvantage to satellite systems is the time it takes for the signals to reach the antenna on Earth's surface.
This is overcome by Starlink's satellites' low orbital altitude, which currently operates with a delay similar to 5G mobile internet, with a latency of less than 20 milliseconds.
