What is Starlink – Elon Musk’s Satellite Internet Service?

Starlink is a satellite internet service operated by SpaceX, the company founded by Elon Musk in 2002 which designs, manufactures and launches rockets and spacecraft. It is also the name given to SpaceX’s growing network of orbital satellites or “constellation.”

SpaceX started launching Starlink satellites in 2019 and currently has more than 3,000 satellites in orbit and continues to expand it with near-weekly launches. In September 18, 2022, the company said it had launched another 54 satellites into space. 

Now do these satellites help to connect humans to the internet? Yes, which is exactly what Elon Musk is doing with Starlink, to provide internet service, especially to those in rural areas and other parts of the world who don’t have access to high-speed Internet.

Starlink primarily focuses on delivering high-speed, low-latency broadband internet in remote and rural locations globally.

To connect to Starlink’s internet connection, you need just instal a modest satellite dish at your residence, which will then relay the signal and data over your router.

Starlink has different options for mounting on roofs, in yards, and on the outside of your home. It also offers an app for Android and iOS that use augmented reality to assist users in determining the optimal placement of their receivers.

Has Elon Musk’s Starlink internet network reached Africa?

Few months ago, we reported the SpaceX’s subsidiary confirmed that it is now present on all seven continents including Africa. The CEO mentioned this in a tweet that his satellite Internet service has been given permission to begin operations in two african nations Nigeria and Mozambique.

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC] also confirmed this in a statement that “it has licensed Starlink, a satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX, providing satellite Internet access coverage to 32 countries. This licensing followed a visit to Nigeria by the company’s team in May last year.” 

The company received two licenses, which include the International Gateway license and Internet Service Provider (ISP) license, and will be trading as Starlink Internet Services Nigeria Ltd. According to NCC, the International Gateway license has a 10-year tenure while the ISP license is to last for five years. Both licenses take effect from May 2022 and may be renewed after the expiration.

Meanwhile, Starlink’s coverage map currently shows plans to start providing services to Africa — and the majority of regions where the network is currently unavailable — in 2023.

Does Starlink have any plans for WiFi connections for mobile users?

Starlink is working on expanding its services to connect large vehicles – from trucks to jets to ships, so that you can take your broadband with you when you’re on the go. Innovation Village is yet to confirm an approval to a request sent by the company to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The request, filed in March last year has marked SpaceX’s biggest step yet toward connecting Starlink to the automotive sector, a potentially lucrative line of business that would expand the company’s current stationary offerings from rural homes.

According to reports, three are plans for all Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises ships to have Starlink by 2023. SpaceX is also working with airlines like Hawaiian Airlines to offer Starlink connectivity on flights.

So, how much does it cost to connect to Starlink?

Though Starlink is trying to solve the problems of access and speed of internet services for the African rural communities, the set-up price and monthly subscription fee could make it out of reach to a common Nigerian who leaves in a rural .

For a Nigerian user, (s)he will have to pay –

• $110 (~₦60,500) for preorder, also its monthly price

• $599 (~₦330,000) for a full kit including a terminal, mounting tripod, and Wi-Fi router

For a Mozambique user, (s)he will have to pay –

• premium service costs about $2,500 (~₦1.375 million) for the full kit and

• $500 (~₦275,000) monthly.

However, the Nigerian Government, on the 15th of December, signed a Broadband Partnership Deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to provide broadband access across the whole of Nigeria, enabling nationwide access to broadband connectivity way ahead of the December 2025 schedule.

With this collaboration with SpaceX’s Starlink, Nigeria is set to be the 1st African country to introduce the service. The nationwide rollout shall take place before the end of 2022, after the conclusion of a few administrative processes.