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SpaceX Starlink "Better Than Nothing" public beta begins (satellite internet)

jotun?

jotun?

Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,500
$500 for equipment, $99 per month
Speeds up to 150Mbps, latency as low as 20ms

arstechnica.com

SpaceX Starlink public beta begins: It’s $99 a month plus $500 up front

“Better Than Nothing” beta to have speeds up to 150Mbps, latency as low as 20ms.
arstechnica.com arstechnica.com
SpaceX has begun sending email invitations to Starlink's public beta and will charge beta users $99 per month plus a one-time fee of $499 for the user terminal, mounting tripod, and router. The emails are being sent to people who previously registered interest in the service on the Starlink website. One person in Washington state who got the email posted it on Reddit. Another person who lives in Wisconsin got the Starlink public-beta invitation and passed the details along to Ars via email.

SpaceX is calling it the "Better Than Nothing" beta, perhaps partly because the Starlink satellite service will be most useful to people who cannot get cable or fiber broadband. But the email also says, "As you can tell from the title, we are trying to lower your initial expectations."
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Expect to see data speeds vary from 50Mbps to 150Mbps and latency from 20ms to 40ms over the next several months as we enhance the Starlink system. There will also be brief periods of no connectivity at all.

As we launch more satellites, install more ground stations, and improve our networking software, data speed, latency, and uptime will improve dramatically. For latency, we expect to achieve 16ms to 19ms by summer 2021.
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Surprised they started it already. The constellation is currently at "only" 895 satellites out of a planned 10000+.

Should be great for people who can't otherwise get broadband. NOT a replacement for people who just dislike their current provider
 
.Detective.

.Detective.

Member
Oct 27, 2017
9,679
SpaceX received approval for satellite internet here in Canada too, for our rural areas. This will be a game changer

That US pricing, though 😞
 
Dakkon

Dakkon

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,194
Pasha said:
99$ a month for "up to" 150Mb is pretty bad.
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No it isn't?

I guess it's worse than initial contracts ISPs give you, but the prices always scale up year to year until they hit the "real price".

I currently pay $126 a month for 12 Mb in a rural area. (e: it started at $76 but ramped up over the years)

There's nothing cheaper here. (it's the only DSL service, there is no cable/fiber)
 
Gashprex

Gashprex

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,031
in addition to the public beta, Starlink is also providing internet to indigenous tribes, first responders, and rural communities for things like telemedicine and online schooling



mynorthwest.com

SpaceX, state bring broadband to Hoh Tribe on Olympic Peninsula

For the first time, the Hoh Tribe is experiencing high-speed internet. That's thanks to an effort by the State Broadband Office and SpaceX.
mynorthwest.com



www.businessinsider.com

Dozens of families in rural Texas will get SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet for free in 2021

SpaceX's Starlink network of satellites will initially provide internet to 45 families who do not currently have broadband access.
www.businessinsider.com www.businessinsider.com

This is for places where broadband companies refuse to bring in lines or only at exorbitant prices - not for people that have broadband access
 
Ether_Snake

Ether_Snake

Banned
Oct 29, 2017
11,306
I'm surprised the CRTC (Canada) has given them the green light. I expect they will turn around soon enough and do whatever they can to block this as much as possible.
 
caff!!!

caff!!!

Member
Oct 29, 2017
3,031
Transistor said:
This will help so many people in rural areas that have been completely ignored by telecoms
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As long as there is no caps, starlink looks way better than current providers in the US who are just so expensive they just use phone tethered internet as verizon looks to coat the US in LTE or nothing
Pasha said:
99$ a month for "up to" 150Mb is pretty bad.
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considering the other providers are 25/30 Mbps with choking bandwidth caps, it's way better
Tetsujin said:
US internet prices are insane, whew.
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The prices in areas beyond the last mile are this bad, if anything this could connect people forsaken or screwed by local ISPs
 
Incite

Incite

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,409
Still waiting for the thing that will break the monopolies here in the states.

If that ever happens🤨
 
GYODX

GYODX

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,244
Game-changer. As for the pricing, it will only get cheaper with time.

Gashprex said:
in addition to the public beta, Starlink is also providing internet to indigenous tribes, first responders, and rural communities for things like telemedicine and online schooling



mynorthwest.com

SpaceX, state bring broadband to Hoh Tribe on Olympic Peninsula

For the first time, the Hoh Tribe is experiencing high-speed internet. That's thanks to an effort by the State Broadband Office and SpaceX.
mynorthwest.com



www.businessinsider.com

Dozens of families in rural Texas will get SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet for free in 2021

SpaceX's Starlink network of satellites will initially provide internet to 45 families who do not currently have broadband access.
www.businessinsider.com www.businessinsider.com

This is for places where broadband companies refuse to bring in lines or only at exorbitant prices - not for people that have broadband access
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This is awesome. Good on SpaceX.
 

alexlf

The Fallen
Nov 1, 2017
740
Hopefully once it's out of beta they offer a ~$60 plan. Even if it's a bit worse then what I currently have, I'd pay premium to give my ISP the boot.
 
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Ocean Bones

Ocean Bones

Avenger
Oct 29, 2017
4,725
Gonna try and get this for my mom's. They have old school satilite net. Might as well not even have it! It's that bad.
 
Rbrogue

Rbrogue

The Fallen
Oct 28, 2017
272
If I still lived out in Rural TX I would have bought this in a damn heartbeat. I couldn't even stream movies without constant buffering while paying like $150 a month.
 
Zeshakag

Zeshakag

Member
Oct 28, 2017
463
How I know this is big: Satellite internet specs are good enough that a lot of people on the internet are comparing it to their home ISP connections at first glance.

This is gonna save a lot of people eff loads of money. Shipboard IT systems, people living out in the boonies will get internet. This combined with the uptick in working remotely may result in a spreading of tech talent to very remote, very rural locations.
 
linkboy

linkboy

Member
Oct 26, 2017
13,690
Reno
This will be great, along with cellular providers rolling out home internet on their towers, for rural areas.

I live in rural South Dakota and my only option for internet was DSL or regular satellite.

I ended up paying $65 a month for 25mbps DSL.

I just got approved for T-Mobile's home internet and now I'm paying $50 a month for 50mpbs.

It does everything I need it to do, so I'm not complaining.
 
Ether_Snake

Ether_Snake

Banned
Oct 29, 2017
11,306
Zeshakag said:
How I know this is big: Satellite internet specs are good enough that a lot of people on the internet are comparing it to their home ISP connections at first glance.

This is gonna save a lot of people eff loads of money. Shipboard IT systems, people living out in the boonies will get internet. This combined with the uptick in working remotely may result in a spreading of tech talent to very remote, very rural locations.
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Yep, definitely going to accelerate the trend of abandoning cities to get higher quality of life elsewhere. Internet access without the grid is a must, and then couple that with energy independency from solar + batteries and all you have left to figure out is access to clean water.
 
Bluelote

Bluelote

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,024
is the upload also 150mbits?

in any case, 20ms is impressive, and near global coverage, wow, that's huge.
 
Kernel

Kernel

Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,889
Can they really promise latency as low as 20ms?

I thought satellite would be in the hundreds of ms in latency.
 
totowhoa

totowhoa

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,223
This is amazing. I live in a metro area where 300 down costs nearly $90 at Cox if you don't have a promo price. (I pay $60 for gigabit via ATT - which is a promo price. But I can't imagine how many people pay nearly a hundred bucks for just 300).
 
Yerffej

Yerffej

Prophet of Regret
Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,560
Ether_Snake said:
Yep, definitely going to accelerate the trend of abandoning cities to get higher quality of life elsewhere. Internet access without the grid is a must, and then couple that with energy independency from solar + batteries and all you have left to figure out is access to clean water.
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Can't beat well water.
 
Yerffej

Yerffej

Prophet of Regret
Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,560
Kernel said:
Can they really promise latency as low as 20ms?

I thought satellite would be in the hundreds of ms in latency.
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It's low orbit satellite. Much improved. Musk has said something about eventually near zero latency. Something about ground stations and legacy internet. I don't pretend to understand it all.
 
ratcliffja

ratcliffja

Member
Oct 28, 2017
5,917
I was really counting on the public beta to finally give me decent internet, but I wasn't among those invited. I'm not seeing any sign that there will be more invites sent out, but I hope there will be.
 
Forerunner

Forerunner

Resetufologist
The Fallen
Oct 30, 2017
14,640
Kernel said:
Can they really promise latency as low as 20ms?

I thought satellite would be in the hundreds of ms in latency.
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Here are some confirmed speeds. The benefits of low orbit.

starlink-tests-980x785.jpg
 
smurfx

smurfx

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
10,578
Gashprex said:
in addition to the public beta, Starlink is also providing internet to indigenous tribes, first responders, and rural communities for things like telemedicine and online schooling



mynorthwest.com

SpaceX, state bring broadband to Hoh Tribe on Olympic Peninsula

For the first time, the Hoh Tribe is experiencing high-speed internet. That's thanks to an effort by the State Broadband Office and SpaceX.
mynorthwest.com



www.businessinsider.com

Dozens of families in rural Texas will get SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet for free in 2021

SpaceX's Starlink network of satellites will initially provide internet to 45 families who do not currently have broadband access.
www.businessinsider.com www.businessinsider.com

This is for places where broadband companies refuse to bring in lines or only at exorbitant prices - not for people that have broadband access
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
didn't even think about native americans living in remote and underserved areas benefiting from this. some people don't even have running water much less good internet access.
 
Raticus79

Raticus79

Community Resettler
Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,041
Very nice. I used to work in a program that was trying to get broadband out to rural communities in Canada for business development and this is a viable option for places that were otherwise out of luck. Guess they're still waiting on the final spectrum licensing here, shouldn't be too much longer.
 
TheZynster

TheZynster

Member
Oct 26, 2017
13,285
Remember, as more says get launched.....speeds will get faster and latency will get even better.
 
Dakkon

Dakkon

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,194
Kernel said:
Can they really promise latency as low as 20ms?

I thought satellite would be in the hundreds of ms in latency.
Click to expand...
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Current satellite internet has high latency because the sat's are super far out. Starlink has low latency because the sat's are in Low Earth Orbit. Closer to the planet = lower latency.
 
Pasha

Pasha

Banned
Jan 27, 2018
3,018
Pennyfish said:
The alternative is $75 month for "up to" 15Mbps with a 30GB data cap.

Oh, I forgot the 600-900 ping as well.
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Transistor said:
For rural America, that's a steal.
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Xyer said:
I live in bumfuck, PA and pay like $130 a month for 3 Mbps speeds. Lol.

This sounds pretty cool.
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Well damn, I knew the speeds for rural areas were pretty bad in some cases, but I didn't think those people were getting fucked on the pricing as well.

I do have to wonder how sustainable this is if the main clients are people living in rural areas, if it's not profitable for a cable company to lay some wire down, launching thousands of satellites into the orbit can't be more lucrative.
 
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