A leak on the SpaceX’s Starlink website had revealed details about the upcoming low earth orbit satellite service, according to code unearthed on the website by a Redditor.
Starlink’s satellite internet system is geared towards low density populations and is a service for those living in rural areas with expensive internet, or next to no high speed Internet access.
The beta page says Starlink internet will “begin in the Northern United States and lower Canada, with those living in rural and/or remote communities in the Washington state area,” with specific latitude mentioned of 44.9 to 51.8.
Starlink Internet beta testers will be bound by non-disclosure agreements and won’t be allowed to share details publicly. Most likely you can bet people will be sharing details on the web and social media, as it’s inevitable when it comes to an Elon Musk project like this.
For early beta testers, access to Starlink Internet will be free, but users will be charged $3 at sign up and $2/month recurring, to test out billing and ordering systems.
The Starlink kit consists of a pre-assembled dish, router and power supply and mount, delivered via FedEx.
Elon Musk clarified on Twitter, “Starlink terminal has motors to self-orient for optimal view angle. No expert installer required. Just plug in & give it a clear view of the sky. Can be in garden, on roof, table, pretty much anywhere, so long as it has a wide view of the sky.”
Check out the first images of Starlink satellites below:
The Starlink system when complete, will see 12,000 low earth orbit satellites hovering at 550 km, offering lower latency and the possibility of online gaming, compared to traditional satellite internet which hovers at 35,000 km above the earth and only serves a specific area.
Recently, Starlink asked numerous users to update their accounts with an address, signalling an upcoming private and public beta launch was imminent.
