Starlink

Starlink Availability Map

*  The Starlink coverage map above was generated by tracking current users of Starlink’s service.

Starlink is a new satellite internet service developed by space exploration company, SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk. Starlink internet works by beaming data signals between thousands of low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellites overhead and gateway stations on the ground below.

If you live anywhere in the U.S., you’re most likely covered by Starlink satellite service. In fact, Starlink provides service to over 400,000 customers across 36 countries. Each of the green dots in the Starlink coverage map above represents a location with a current Starlink subscriber. Currently, over 2,400 low-earth-orbit (LEO) Starlink satellites orbit the Earth, providing internet service to many areas.

Here are some quick stats regarding Starlink’s availability:

• 400,000 current subscribers
• Approximately 2,400 LEO satellites in orbit
• 59 gateway stations across the U.S.
• 36 countries served worldwide

Starlink Plans and Pricing

Starlink internet pricing is straightforward and hidden fee-free, offering just two plans. For the residential Starlink internet plan, customers can expect to pay $110 per month, while the RV internet plan costs $135 per month. Both Starlink internet plans offer download speeds up to 250 Mbps and require a $599 upfront payment for the hardware (dish, router, and cables).

Unlike other satellite companies, Starlink doesn’t allow subscribers to lease their equipment. Also, service may not be available in your area. In this situation, you can place a $99 deposit applicable toward your Starlink Kit purchase.

If you’ve visited the Starlink website recently, you may have seen a message like, “Starlink expects to expand service in your area by early to mid 2022. You will receive a notification once your Starlink is ready to ship.” SpaceX is working to fulfill 750,000 preorders. Delays in service activation are primarily due to two factors: capacity and silicon.

Even though nearly 2,400 Starlink satellites roam the sky in a scheduled pattern, certain sectors of the Earth are less visited than others, limiting the capacity Starlink has to take on new subscribers. Since their satellite launch operations began in 2019, Starlink has successfully completed 47 launches, and the company is planning to continue launching at an ambitious pace to increase capacity and fulfill future orders.

Silicon supply has become a hot issue for Starlink and every other tech company attempting to supply customers with high-tech gadgetry. A perfect storm of circumstances gathered in 2020, causing a ripple effect of silicon chip shortages worldwide and serious delays in production for SpaceX’s Starlink customer kits.

Starlink Internet Speeds

Current speeds offered by a Starlink satellite connection top out at download speeds up to 250 Mbps. Elon Musk’s SpaceX intends to increase the maximum speed to 10 Gbps in the future. These speeds will require specialized laser technology that SpaceX is still in the process of developing and expanding.

This technology would outfit future LEO satellites with the capability to communicate directly with each other while in orbit via laser. Since transmissions of these sorts travel exponentially faster in the vacuum of space than on the ground, 10 Gbps download speeds may become a distinct reality. Until then, Starlink LEO satellites do all of their communication with gateway base stations located on Earth to send data transmissions where they need to go.