SpaceX Plans to Achieve Global Starlink Coverage by September

SpaceX, the company founded by Elon Musk, expects to provide global satellite internet coverage through its Starlink project by September. However, after overcoming technical challenges, the company will face legal hurdles: SpaceX will need to obtain regulatory approval in each country to offer its telecommunications services.

“We have successfully deployed about 1,800 satellites, and once all of these satellites reach their operational orbits, we will have continuous global coverage by around September. But after that, we have to get approval in every country to provide telecommunications services,” said Starlink President Gwynne Shotwell.

Starlink’s Ambitious Expansion

Starlink plans to deploy a total of 12,000 satellites at an estimated cost of $10 billion. Currently, the service is in beta testing in 11 countries. Earlier this month, users in Germany reported “incredibly high” internet download speeds of up to 649 Mbps.

According to SpaceX, the project is primarily aimed at residents of regions without reliable internet access, where people are forced to rely on satellite connections. This year, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission approved the company’s plan to deploy some satellites in lower Earth orbit than originally planned, in order to provide services to people who currently lack internet access.

Financial Outlook and User Demand

It is reported that Starlink will cost SpaceX at least $10 billion, but the company’s leadership expects the satellite network could generate up to $30 billion in annual revenue. In May, Musk announced that there were over 500,000 pre-orders for the service. The entrepreneur does not anticipate any technical issues in meeting this demand. Pre-orders have been open since February, and users can test the satellite internet service for $99 per month.