SpaceX's satellite network Starlink will deliver internet worldwide by August, says Musk

SpaceX’s extraterrestrial satellite network Starlink is on track to beam broadband internet everywhere in the world except Polar Regions by August, company Chief Elon Musk said on June 29. Speaking at virtual Mobile World Congress 2021, the 50-year-old confirmed that Starlink, at present, was operational in about 12 countries and more are being added every month. The tech billionaire explained that SpaceX has launched more than 1,500 satellites so far, catering to over 69,000 active customers and it was expanding.

"We are on our way to having a few hundred thousand users, possibly over 500,000 users within 12 months. Starlink had about 10,000 users as of February, but this month it neared the 70,000 mark, Musk added.

Musk also pointed out that it would take an investment between $5 billion and $10 billion before cash flow is positive. He reckoned that the service would cost $99 per month to users in an addendum to $499 worth of satellite dish equipment that the users must buy. With Starlink, Musk aims to provide internet to three per cent to five per cent of people in the world who do not have internet due to inaccessibility to conventional fibres and networks. 

Starlink mission

In its plan to create a 12,000-satellite mega constellation in the Low Earth Orbit, SpaceX has launched 480 Starlink satellites into orbit, including the recent 58 satellites launched by Musk. The main aim of this project is to provide high-speed internet service to customers around the world, especially in remote or under-served areas. The internet speed is expected and propelled to be 1GB/sec. However, SpaceX's internet access will first be presented in only two countries, the USA and Canada.

On June 25, 2020, SpaceX launched Starlink satellites through its Falcon 9 rocket. The rocket will endure Starlink satellites that are going to add up in the already existing 480 SpaceX Starlink satellites. These new satellites launched by the American company are equipped with a new deployable sun visor system which is created to block reflections of sunlight off of their antenna surfaces. This is the reason why they are denoted as "Astronomy-friendly satellites". 

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