SpaceX revealed on Monday, January 11, 2020, that Starlink service had been issued an operating license in the United Kingdom last November.
Installation kits have already received by the local users who signed up for its beta test according to Business Insider.
The cost of Starlink kit ranges from £439 or about $600 upfront. Plus £84 or about $120 for a monthly subscription.
Philip Hall, a Starlink beta tester who lives in rural Devon, southwest England, told Insider last Friday, January 8, 2020, that he received the router and terminal to connect to the satellites on New Year’s Eve.
Hall added that he has now 85 Mbps download speeds unlike before which is only 0.5 Mbps with service provided by local carrier BT Group.
“Within the hour we ran a Zoom quiz with grandchildren—it was wonderful,”
Philip Hall
The users participating in the beta test could expect speeds of 50 to 150 Mbps according to the email send by SpaceX to its subscribers.
While in the United States, some users have said they’re getting download speeds of more than 210 Mbps.
Elon Musk’s Goal
To deliver superfast broadband internet around the world, Musk’s goal for Starlink is by enveloping the Earth with up to 42,000 satellites.
So far, SpaceX has launched at least 830 working Starlink satellites into orbit.
Starlink started testing its beta service in North America and southern Canada in 2020.
In other countries, including Greece, Germany and Australia, have also authorized Starlink operation, with discussions underway in France, New Zealand, India, Japan and South Africa, according to a service status roundup tracked on Starlink Reddit.
Source: Business Insider, Reddit
