The UK has approved internet service from SpaceX's Starlink satellites. According to Ofcom, a British regulatory body, the license was granted to SpaceX in November – and there are already reports of people using Starlink internet and enjoying the speed. Customers from the US and Canada began participating in the tests last year, and the company wants to increase coverage further next year.
With a license approved in the UK, the Starlink network can compete directly with terrestrial internet providers, such as BT Group, or even with companies that already provide satellite service, such as OneWeb. Users who signed up for the Better Than Nothing Beta test in the UK have already started receiving their kits – Philip Hall is one of them. A resident of Devon, a very rural city, told the Insider portal that he received the router and terminal to connect to the network on New Year's Eve, and that the Internet he used before (BT's) provided a download speed of only 0. 5 Mbps. And with Starlink, speeds reached 85 Mbps: “We even got to play a Q&A game on Zoom with the grandkids, which was great!” he says.
SpaceX sent emails to customers stating that users could get speeds between 50Mbps and 150Mbps, and there were people in the US who reported download speeds exceeding 210Mbps. For those who live in rural or very remote areas, satellite Internet can be a big help. Information obtained by Ofcom revealed that 5% of UK homes do not have internet speeds of at least 30Mbps. The next countries to test the service are expected to be Greece, Germany and Australia, with the three countries also giving approval for Starlink.
The high speed was achieved thanks to the Spacex project to place satellites in orbit much closer to the Earth's surface; Thus, since they are in 550 km orbits, the signal travels much less to reach the user – but on the other hand, this requires arranging more satellites in space.
Since the goal of Elon Musk, the company's CEO, is to deliver high-speed broadband to the entire world, a total of 30 to 42 thousand Starlink satellites are expected to arrive; Right now, SpaceX has already put about a thousand of them into orbit. It is worth noting that, although useful to users, satellite constellations pose a problem for astronomy: satellites easily reflect sunlight and end up appearing in astronomical observations. However, the company is working on solutions to not harm astronomy.
source: Interested in trade, inverse
Charlotte Whitmore is a contributor at Mediarunsearch.co.uk, covering a broad range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, balanced reporting and practical information that helps readers stay informed about current events and emerging developments. Her work highlights stories that matter to everyday audiences, with an emphasis on accuracy, relevance, and accessible journalism that keeps readers connected to the issues shaping the UK and beyond.