Elon Musk-owned Starlink satellite internet service is looking to expand further globally and the company is currently in a testing phase as it promises internet connection “almost anywhere on land in the world", the media has reported. Starlink is testing its Global Roaming service which will cost $200 per month, which excludes the $599 Starlink Kit satellite dish, says a report by GSMArena.
The Musk-owned company’s new offering uses the Starlink inter-satellite links to beam internet to users anywhere where Starlink coverage is available.
According to the company, its new "Global Roaming Service" uses Starlink's inter-satellite links, thus, allowing vast coverage globally. The company has also mentioned that the service should be fairly quick with low latency. However, there could be times with "poor connectivity or no connection at all."
As per a memo by the company, Starlink Global Roaming services are “contingent on regulatory approvals”. It should be noted that Starlink satellite internet service is still waiting for regulatory approval across various countries. Starlink's request to launch its services in India did not get a go-ahead. SpaceX, which owns satellite internet services provider Starlink had applied to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for a global mobile personal communication by satellite services (GMPCS) to launch Starlink internet services from space.
It should be noted that India's top telecom operators Bharti Airtel's OneWeb and Reliance Jio Infocomm's satellite arm have already got a license and Musk's SpaceX is the third firm to apply for a GMPCS license to operate in the country.
Meanwhile, earlier last month, SpaceX had applied for business registration with South Korean authorities to roll out its network of satellite internet service Starlink. SpaceX filed the request with the Ministry of Science and ICT earlier this month to launch Starlink in the country, according to the sources cited by news agency Yonhap.
Starlink uses a range of radio frequencies known as the 28 GHz band to provide high-speed broadband to remote and rural areas.
It is not yet known whether the company will use the same range once it begins service. It might not apply for frequency and instead offer service using ground stations in China and Japan. Starlink said on its website it will start its internet service in the country sometime during the second quarter of this year.
Musk-run affordable satellite internet service Starlink has reached 1 million active paid subscribers, which now includes private jets, cruises, boats and more.