Inventor and entrepreneur Elon Musk is a well-known man for a multitude of reasons. The biggest reason is because of Tesla and most recently for his high speed internet venture known as Starlink. 

What is Starlink? Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX providing satellite internet access coverage to most of the Earth.  SpaceX is an American aerospace manufacturer, a provider of space transportation services, and communications

Basically, Musk is using his company, SpaceX, to launch up to 42,000 satellites into low orbit. Satellites that provide current internet and television are in middle orbit– this is because the “higher” they are, the easier it is for dishes to connect with them from anywhere.

Starlink will make use of thousands of lower satellites, making it easier for rural areas to connect with them–because there are more. The end result should enable video calls, online gaming, streaming, and other high data rate activities that historically have not been possible with satellite internet. For more information on how it works, please click here.

Currently, Starlink is still in “beta”–meaning the service is only available in select regions in the US, Canada and abroad at this point, according to Tomsguide.com

Beta testers of the Starlink service are seeing between 50-150 Mb download and 5-40 Mb upload and have no data caps. Which means it has a download speed of 25 Mb per second and 3 Mb per second for upload.

Though Starlink is slightly faster than 5G (though still comparable), it seems 5G may hold the greater potential for speed in the long-run.  

Where do you apply for Starlink?  You can try to sign up for Starlink by visiting their website and paying a $99 signup fee. 

“Starlink pre-orders currently cost $99 a month. But the service will require an up-front hardware fee of $499. That includes the small satellite dish that can be set up at a home or business, as well as a router and power supply. There’s also a shipping and handling fee of $50,” according to Tom’s Guide.

Starlink targets launching 42,000 satellites to reach full operation. Today, Starlink has more than 2,298 satellites in orbit with more launching on a weekly basis.