Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana

New Starlink Fast Internet Coming to Rural Areas

Starlink is a satellite internet constellation being constructed by SpaceX[2][3] providing satellite Internet access.[4][5] The constellation will consist of thousands of mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), working in combination with ground transceivers.

Starlink is targeting coverage in our area in mid to late 2021 and taking orders now. https://www.starlink.com/

Starlink satellites are over 60 times closer to Earth than traditional satellites, resulting in lower latency and the ability to support services typically not possible with traditional satellite internet.

On Monday, February 15 at 10:59 p.m. EST, SpaceX launched 60 Starlink satellites from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Starlink can deliver high-speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable or completely unavailable.

As of 27 January 2021, SpaceX has launched 1,035 Starlink satellites (including demo satellites Tintin A and B). They plan to launch up to 60 more per Falcon 9 flight, with launches as often as every two weeks in 2021. In total, nearly 12,000 satellites are planned to be deployed, with a possible later extension to 42,000.[53] The initial 12,000 satellites are planned to orbit in three orbital shells:

SpaceX intends to provide satellite internet connectivity to underserved areas of the planet, as well as provide competitively priced service to urban areas. The company has stated that the positive cash flow from selling satellite internet services would be necessary to fund their Mars plans.[129]

“Orders will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis,” the website says. However, a disclaimer adds: “Depending on location, some orders may take 6 months or more to fulfill. Placing a deposit does not guarantee service.”

Recently users noticed a pre-order option on the Starlink website. Type in your email address and where they live, and the website will let you know when Starlink will arrive in your area. In the meantime, you can pay a refundable $99 pre-order fee to get in line.

SpaceX has been distributing beta invites for several months via the Starlink website. However, they have been limited to about 10,000 users, most of whom are based in the northern US and lower Canada.

SpaceX began a public beta program of Starlink in October, with service priced at $99 a month, in addition to a $499 upfront cost to order the Starlink kit, plus shipping. The kit includes the Wi-Fi router and a user terminal, also known as a dish, to connect to the satellites.

SpaceX is leveraging its experience in building rockets and spacecraft to deploy the world’s most advanced broadband internet system. As the world’s leading provider of launch services – and the only provider with an orbital class reusable rocket – SpaceX has deep experience with both spacecraft and on-orbit operations.

SpaceX has opened pre-orders for Starlink, its satellite broadband system. But depending on where you live, your order may not arrive until later this year.

SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service is priced at $99 a month.

 

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