If you truly want to test someone’s patience, watch them handle slow internet speeds and see what they do. While it’s a surefire way to read someone’s temperament, the days of the internet speed test may be coming to a close.
On Thursday, SpaceX ran a Starlink beta test on its internet service, saying that the test demonstrated low levels of latency and download speeds up to 100Mbps, as reported by TechCrunch.
SpaceX engineer, Kate Tice, shared that the company still expects the service to improve immensely. She also mentioned that SpaceX had successfully pulled off an inter-satellite link between spacecraft, and that it was able to transfer hundreds of gigabytes of data using an optical laser.
Earlier today, SpaceX launched 60 more Starlink satellites into space via its Falcon 9 rocket.
Deployment of 60 Starlink satellites confirmed pic.twitter.com/DdBxIOdOg1
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 3, 2020
In initial tests of Starlink, the team has been collecting latency data and performing standard speed tests of the system
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 3, 2020
Results from these tests have shown super low latency and download speeds greater than 100 mbps – fast enough to stream multiple HD movies at once and still have bandwidth to spare
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 3, 2020
The news from SpaceX is a major flash forward for satellite internet. In the modern world, some experts will go so far as to say that every single person needs reliable internet. While the world is still far away from that becoming a reality, SpaceX’s Starlink program is already working towards it.
The current beta program is limited to SpaceX employees at the moment, though SpaceX is already encouraging people in Canada and the USA to apply for the public beta, which is set to be released later this year. Starlink satellite internet will be a welcomed service for those living in rural areas, especially in Canada, given the latter’s low speeds and high prices for internet.
