Elon Musk wants to cover Britain with Starlink’s satellite internet: report



[ad_1]

Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet company has been granted a license to build a satellite ground station on the Isle of Man, which will provide “global coverage” across Britain, the Telegraph reports.

Starlink, which is part of Musk’s SpaceX, has filed a request with the Isle of Man communications regulator to improve its broadband coverage for rural areas in northern Britain that cannot be reached from above fiber or 5G internet speed, the newspaper reported.

By transmitting from a station on the island, located on the west of the north coast of Great Britain, Starlink can capitalize on the less congested waves on the island so that their signal can reach these rural broadband holes. , said the Telegraph.

Starlink has already established satellite bases in Buckinghamshire and Cornwall. With the three ground stations and its network of satellites in orbit, the company is expected to broadcast full broadband coverage for the whole of the UK, he said.

The internet service is said to compete with other UK broadband companies in Britain, in particular UK government-owned OneWeb, which also operates with a low-earth orbit satellite network.

SpaceX is looking to provide Starlink satellite internet to the world by September and connect in-flight internet service. The company is working to launch 42,000 Starlink satellites into orbit by 2027 to support its global broadband signal.

The global coverage of the Starlink service could allow more and more rural and underserved communities to access fast broadband.

Starlink launched a limited testing service in the UK earlier this year, charging £ 89 ($ 123) per month, plus £ 439 ($ 610) for a satellite dish, according to the Telegraph. More than 500,000 people have placed orders for Starlink Internet, Musk said in May.

Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, said last week it was updating the conditions and licensing process for low-orbit satellites, like those used by Starlink, and was suspending all current or new applications. However, regulators said they were in the final stages of issuing a license that was developed with their proposed directive. Ofcom has not commented on who filed the request.

Starlink was not reachable at the time of publication.

[ad_2]

Source link