SpaceX’s low-Earth orbit satellite company Starlink is now live with a limited beta service in certain parts of central Victoria and southern New South Wales, according to Tech AU. The satellite internet service is expected to expand across the remainder of the country in later months.
Last year, Australia granted a carrier license to SpaceX for Starlink, paving the way for the internet service to expand into the country. Then, in early January, SpaceX was officially approved to use its Starlink ground terminals within Australia, further allowing the company to expand its services until it came to share its low-Earth orbit satellite internet service in a limited beta format, as it plans to now.
Starlink starting to cover Australia, did not expect it to come this fast, what they’re doing is incredible @elonmusk @Erdayastronaut @MarcusHouse pic.twitter.com/4rRTTONph6
— Alexander watt (@zo1nkscoob) April 9, 2021
Offering starting speeds between 50 Mb/s and 150 Mb/s, Starlink is an excellent option for those in rural or remote locations. While Australian latency is currently landing somewhere between 20 and 40 ms, the company plans to reduce that latency down to between 16 and 19 ms.
In Australia, the Starlink hardware costs $709 (AUD), not including $100 (AUD) for shipping and handling, and a monthly internet charge of $139 (AUD). The satellite internet service has no data limit, unlike a number of cable companies.
Last week, in a meeting with satellite executives from various companies, SpaceX announced that it had roughly 1,320 Starlink satellites in its currently-orbiting constellation, with more set to be added throughout 2021 and 2022. The company launched another 60 Starlink satellites this week, taking the total to at least 1,380 in orbit.
You can click here to sign up for Starlink’s internet beta.
