Alex Bruno
Starlink, a business that uses SpaceX satellites to provide low-latency internet connection, is growing. It is introducing Starlink Maritime, a new boat subscription service, this week. You will be required to make a payment of 10,000 dollars for the terminal that enables you to connect, in addition to the 5,000 dollars that this new membership will cost you each month.
Clearly, this new subscription is not reasonable. Satellite connectivity for boats is already available, as our TechCrunch colleagues have reminded us. However, the quality often needs improvement. SpaceX addresses the issue with their Starlink Maritime service, which guarantees minimal latency and a connection speed of up to 350 Mbit/s downlinks. With regards to the subscription, it may be terminated or renewed whenever you want (but you have to pay for the whole month).
On the Starlink website, it says, “Starlink Maritime allows you connect from the most distant waterways in the world, just like you would in the office or at home. From commerce ships to oil rigs to high-end yachts.” There is still some way to go before this technology can be rolled out to all of the world’s oceans. On the other hand, you will get coverage everywhere if you are sailing in the Mediterranean.
The good news is that Starlink already has plans in place to extend this marine coverage starting in the last quarter of 2023. If you go across the Atlantic from Europe to the USA when this initial expansion is finished, you should be able to remain connected through Starlink. By 2023, a second expansion phase is also anticipated.
As for the technology itself, according to TechCrunch, a Starlink employee allegedly stated (his Twitter account was then made private) that Starlink Maritime’s hardware quadruples performance to prevent latency spikes and signal losses.
Starlink: soon to be available for mobile vehicles?
Starlink was only formally accessible via a landline when the consumer version of the service first went live. However, the service is gradually becoming more nomad-friendly.
Currently, Starlink members are already able to take the antenna on the road. You will need to pay an additional fee during this trip if you want to utilize the service at another location. Additionally, Starlink provides a unique motorhome offer, although it cannot be utilized when the car is moving.
Even this limitation, however, could be eventually abolished. Starlink already has permission from the authorities in the US to provide its service on moving cars. The Starlink kit’s limited warranty is invalid if it is used while moving. Our teams are working hard to make Starlink usage in mobile vehicles feasible. According to the Starlink website, “Starlink is not currently set to be utilized properly under these circumstances,” about this offer for RVs.
Source: The Verge
