STARLINK : The Future Of Internet

Do you suffer from poor internet connection? We got wifi to cover that, but that’s available only at certain places; what if you are travelling in some remote areas? Expanding fibre optic cable in remote areas is too expensive. So, we have a ‘game changer’ here, Starlink! , the ultimate solution for internet connection is satellite internet access. Sounds interesting? If yes, then let’s find out what is this starlink network.

What Starlink actually is?

Starlink is a satellite network under development by SpaceX to form a beautiful constellation in space with a great purpose. The purpose is to provide an affordable and reliable network in remote areas and all around the globe altogether using the power of satellites!

It will bring revolution in the internet broadband industry by providing satellite internet access, which will be cheaper and more efficient than any optical fibre or 4G broadband that we use today. This constellation will consist of twelve thousand mass-produced small satellites communicating with the ground and one another.

Initial plans as of January 2015 were for the constellation to be made up of approximately 4,000 cross-linked satellites, more than twice as many operational satellites as were in orbit in January 2015, shocking, isn’t it? The more surprising thing is that Elon Musk plans to launch as many as 30 thousand satellites, of which 12 thousand are already approved by the FCC (Federal Communication Commission). Each satellite has a mass of around 260 KG. They were intended to be in lower earth orbit at an altitude of 1100 KM, but it is deployed at a lower orbit that is 550 KM due to concerns about the space environment.

Recent Developments

As SpaceX continues its push towards a new record number of launches in a single year, the company has launched the Starlink v1.0 L28 mission on 26th may 2021— the 28th launch of operational Starlink satellites and the 29th Starlink launch overall. SpaceX is launching sixty satellites every two weeks this year. In total, the L28 mission brought the number of operational v1.0 Starlink satellites launched to 1737.

After launching this many satellites, Starlink has started beta testing where thousands of people can try out this amazing technology. With $499 for equipment required and $99 monthly fees Starlink promises high speed internet.

Future ambitions of SpaceX

Elon Musk plans to reach customers all around the globe by the end of 2021. He will make the internet accessible to every person, which will bring a global digital revolution. Then, Starlink will need to provide service and maintain a solid customer base. That is why SpaceX is hiring many software engineers, customer support managers and a director of sales this year.

So far, we talked about Starlink and it’s recent developments. Let’s discuss the controversy among astronomers related to Starlink.

Controversies regarding Starlink

Despite the promise of high-speed broadband internet, SpaceX has taken criticism within the astronomical community for its Starlink satellites, due to their brightness and potential to disrupt observations of the night sky.

The National Science Foundation and the American Astronomical Society released a report on the situation in August 2020. Discussions among more than 250 experts at the virtual Satellite Constellations 1 , workshop expressed concern that the bright train of satellites marching across the sky will hinder their observations.

In recent years, SpaceX Plan to Deploy Over 2,000 Starlink Satellites Gets US FCC Approval. Elon Musk's SpaceX had asked the FCC for approval to fly 2,824 satellites at a lower orbit as part of the plan to provide high-speed broadband Internet services. SpaceX launches 60 more Starlink broadband satellites into orbit.

Competition faced

Amazon is reported to begin steps for bringing high-speed satellite internet services to India soon. The move, according to reports, is set to spark off competition with arch-rivals OneWeb and SpaceX, in order to potentially drive down satellite broadband rates. Amazon will soon approach the government to discuss the modalities, authorisations, permits, landing rights, and satellite bandwidth leasing costs.

Amazon is already investing over $10 billion (roughly Rs 72,500 crores) to build a constellation of 3,236 low-Earth orbit satellites as part of its global space internet initiative, Project Kuiper. The Department of Space (DoS) gives landing rights for downlinking signals of foreign satellites into the country. The sources said that talks with the Department of Space and Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will happen on the necessary regulatory approvals to bring Amazon’s high-speed broadband services to India via its Project Kuiper constellation.

Amazon declined to comment on the matter. The report further quoted industry executives as saying that it is a critical emerging satellite internet market that Amazon cannot ignore. It also goes on to point out that nearly 75 percent of India’s rural population still does not have access to broadband since many locations are without cellular or fibre connectivity. As a result, LEO satellite systems are being viewed as a viable alternative, though it is costly at present.

Bharti-backed OneWeb and Elon Musk’s SpaceX have already announced plans for India. SpaceX and OneWeb are readying to start satellite broadband operations in India next year, leveraging their lower-Earth orbit satellite constellations.

Starlink’s goal is to provide global broadband coverage for high-speed internet access, especially for rural and remote areas. Astronomers and skywatchers worry about Starlink’s potential to interfere with their work understanding the universe, and their enjoyment of the night sky.