Satellite internet presents itself as an alternative to optical fiber or 5G. A simple dish can bring high-speed connectivity to white areas. With its constellation of some 5,000 satellites in low orbit, Starlink is in pole position in this satellite internet market.
The SpaceX subsidiary, owned by Elon Musk, offers an average download speed between 50 and 200 Mbit/s and a latency period of around 20 ms for packages starting at 40 euros per month. Four years after its launch, it has some 2.3 million subscribers worldwide.
With its new program, Starlink this time intends to compete with operators in the very high speed field. Called “Starlink Community Gateways”, this offer aims to offer “ speeds similar to those of optical fiber from space to the most remote places on the planet.
Throughput of up to 10 gigabits
On the dedicated page, Starlink offers a throughput of up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) in downlink (reception) or uplink (transmission) for a latency of less than 99 milliseconds.
To achieve such performance, a simple parabola is not enough. The site must be equipped with a set of ground stations – community gateways – which serve as connection points between the Starlink satellites located at an attitude of approximately 550 km and the terrestrial network.
Users thus benefit from a dedicated Ka band, the high frequency range reserved for the fastest satellite internet. This performance comes at a price. Starlink puts the cost of installing the on-site infrastructure at $1.25 million. The subscription starts at $75,000 per Gbps per month. Or $750,000 per month to benefit from the highest speed.
A professional use case with John Deere
The offer is not called community for nothing. At this price, it targets manufacturers, local authorities or operators who wish to make this connectivity “fallen from the sky” available to their employees, their citizens or their subscribers in the most deserted territories.
The first community gateway was built in Unalaska, a city located in the western Aleutians, an island in Alaska. The network is operated by OptimERA, a local access provider.
The BtoB market also seems interested in Starlink. A few days ago, the operator announced on X that the tractor manufacturer John Deere had signed an agreement to equip its machines in the United States and Brazil so that farmers achieve precision agriculture.
Towards competition from mobile operators
On the general public side, Starlink unveiled, in October, a new service allowing you to initially send SMS, then make phone calls and browse the internet in white areas. An offer likely to compete this time with mobile telephone operators.
Photo credit: Starlink