Starlink, one of the most popular satellite broadband companies in the world, will go out of the beta phase by next month. The company had launched its beta program back in October 2020, and after one complete year, Starlink is ready to move on to providing stable services to customers around the world. Not that it has already received regulatory approvals to do so in every country, but it will come with time. It is worth noting that Starlink will be going out of the beta phase two months later than Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, had said.
Musk had initially said that the company would go out of the beta phase by August 2021. But that didn’t happen. Even so, Starlink has made impressive strides and has made a brand for itself around the globe.
Starlink Has Already Shipped 100,000 Terminals
Starlink has already shipped over 100,000 terminals in over 14 countries. The terminals include a Wi-Fi router and a satellite dish. For the same, Starlink was charging $99 from the customers. The company had also introduced a similar offer for Indians last year. Starlink said that it aims to provide satellite broadband services in many countries, including India, from 2022. While this will happen or not, only time will tell. But for now, Starlink has a major challenge to overcome, and it is to get regulatory approvals from the governments of different countries for providing services.
Starlink’s services can make a major impact in rural India. Users in rural India can get seamless connectivity, and that with internet speeds of 100 Mbps download and 200 Mbps upload speed.
While Starlink is delivering on the possible use-cases for direct consumers, it can also work in the B2B segment and compete with OneWeb, which is looking to work with telecom operators globally for improving their network coverage and range. It will be interesting to look at the satellite broadband era with a mix of 5G.
