SpaceX’s operations are vast, to be sure, but among its rapidly expanding Starlink low-Earth orbit satellite internet project, the company is looking to move into several new countries this year.
In March, SpaceX formed SpaceX Portugal, which is set to be headquartered in Lisbon and give satellite internet access to 16,000 users in the country by this year, with 50,000 total in years to come, according to Jornal de Negocios.
While the country is already completely covered in satellites, Starlink isn’t quite offering its services just yet, though it plans to begin marketing and rolling out the low-Earth orbit satellite internet as soon as June.
NASA Crew Relocates SpaceX Capsule for First Time to New Docking Port https://t.co/ilkhI2O8MJ
— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) April 5, 2021
The figures estimating how many Portuguese residents will benefit from the upgraded satellite internet access were shared by SpaceX Global Satellite Government Affairs Head Matt Botwin, during a video conference last month with ANACOM President João Cadete de Matos. The conference’s agenda included “matters related to the development of the ‘Starlink’ satellite constellation to provide Internet access.”
While SpaceX’s business also includes working with NASA to launch and test spacecraft, among other things, the company’s Starlink internet satellite constellation is also expected to cover the entire Earth by the end of 2022, providing hugely improved internet speeds to some of the world’s most remote, rural locations.
The next Starlink launch is set for Wednesday, April 7, 2021, from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
