Everything You Need To Know About Elon Musk's Starlink Internet Operation In Africa
SpaceX operates the Starlink satellite internet network, which provides satellite Internet
connectivity to the majority of the Earth. In mid-2021, the constellation will consist
of approximately 1600 satellites, with many thousands of mass-produced tiny satellites
in low Earth orbit (LEO) communicating with authorized ground transceivers. While satellite
internet service technically reaches the majority of the world's population, real service can
only be supplied in nations that have allowed SpaceX to provide service inside any specific
national territory. The beta service offering will be accessible in 16 countries by September
2021. The Starlink research, development, manufacturing,
and orbit control teams are housed in SpaceX's satellite development center in Redmond, Washington.
SpaceX predicted in May 2018 that the cost of the decade-long effort to design, develop,
and deploy the constellation would be at least US$10 billion.
In 2014, product development began. In February 2018, two prototype test-flight satellites
were launched. In May 2019, further test satellites and 60 operational satellites were launched.
SpaceX launches up to 60 satellites at a time, with the goal of deploying 1,584 of the 260
kg (570 lb) spacecraft by late 2021 or 2022 to offer near-global coverage.
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Elon Musk's SpaceX has revealed plans to deploy its new Starlink satellite internet service
in Africa later this year, with Nigeria being the first country to receive it. According
to Mr. Ryan Goodnight, SpaceX's Starlink market access director for Africa, the company is
working to obtain all necessary licenses to bring Starlink satellite internet services
to Nigeria, and a meeting with Nigeria Communications Commission Executive Vice Chairman Professor
Umar Danbatta is planned for later this month According to the business, plans to deploy
the Starlink satellite internet service in South Africa in 2022 are also in the works.
Last month, South Africa's independent communication regulator announced that it is in talks with
SpaceX about Starlink acquiring an individual electronics communication service license
in the country.
Although the technology is not expected to be available in the nation until next year,
South African residents may already pre-order the Starlink internet service through the
company's official website. Starling is a SpaceX internet service that aims to enhance
internet access in rural and underserved places across the world. Starlink satellites are
nearly 60 times closer to Earth than regular satellites, resulting in decreased latency
and the capacity to offer applications that traditional satellite internet cannot.
In 2015, SpaceX began construction on the Starlink satellite broadband network. The
first prototypes were launched into Earth orbit in 2018, followed by the deployment
of 60 operational satellites the following year. As of mid-April 2021, SpaceX claims
to have launched over 1400 tiny satellites at a height of 550 kilometers. Africa, with
1.2 billion people, is the world's youngest continent, with the greatest urbanization
rate and six of the ten fastest rising economies. However, the continent is now lagging behind
the rest of the globe in terms of high-speed internet infrastructure, with the World Bank
estimating just 22% of the continent's population having access to consistent high-speed connections.
Concerns have been expressed by astronomers regarding the constellations' impact on ground-based
astronomy and how the satellites would contribute to an already congested orbital environment.
SpaceX has sought to alleviate these concerns by deploying a number of modifications to
Starlink satellites targeted at lowering their brightness while in operation. The satellites
include krypton-fueled Hall thrusters that allow them to de-orbit at the end of their
lives. Furthermore, depending on uplinked tracking data, the satellites are intended
to avoid collisions automatically. Many analysts believe SpaceX Starlink satellite
technology has the potential to be transformational in bringing high-quality internet directly
to African consumers, particularly in distant and rural areas. SpaceX stated in an official
statement that it has been in discussions with the Nigeria Communications Commission
for the past few months to begin the process of obtaining all required permits to deliver
Starlink's satellite-based internet services to Nigeria. After making significant headway
in the conversation, the Commission authorized SpaceX's request for a face-to-face meeting
to obtain a better understanding of the prospects. The current beta phase of the Starlink internet
service, which allows for intermittent internet access during network testing, is presently
being rolled out in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, New Zealand,
and Australia. As an alternative to cable-based fiber networks, Starlink satellites transmit
high-speed broadband internet down to receivers. This is especially significant for those living
in rural regions where fiber infrastructure is lacking. According to Starling, with just
around 1300 satellites launched as of February, customers may expect internet rates ranging
from 50 to 150 megabits per second, as well as latency ranging from 20 to 40 milliseconds.
There will also be brief moments when there will be no connectivity at all. Elon Musk,
the creator of SpaceX, the parent company of Starlink, stated in an interview that the
speed would increase to 300 megabits per second later this year, and latency will drop to
20 milliseconds. He went on to say that Starlink aims to reach the majority of the planet's
population by the end of 2021, and 100% coverage by 2022. Following that, it would be a matter
of increasing coverage density. Starlink plans to establish a network of about
42,000 satellites in orbit by 2027, although only 12,000 have been approved by the Federal
Communications Commission and the International Telecommunication Union. Users that pay a
refundable deposit currently have preferential access. This contribution assures that they
will have first preference in their location for acquiring the starling kit when it becomes
available. This Starlink package contains a Wi-Fi router, power supply, cables, and
a tripod for mounting. The cost of this equipment varies depending on where you live. This kit
is expected to cost $499 in the United States, and about $700 in the United Kingdom. The
pricing for the African area, particularly clients in Nigeria and South Africa, where
services will be offered soon, has yet to be announced. Consumers are anticipated to
pay a monthly charge in addition to the Starlink kit, which is now $99 for US customers.
Although the Starlink technology is being welcomed and seen as a great boost for internet
access across the African continent, some critics are questioning its pricing, which
they claim is too expensive for Africans, and are calling for regional price adjustments
to be more widely available on the continent. Facebook and several of the world's major
telecom providers, notably China Mobile Limited, have accepted opponents' recommendations to
roll out the internet via traditional ways, particularly in poor nations. In May 2020,
Facebook stated that it will collaborate with major African and worldwide operators to create
a $1 billion to Africa project, the most extensive undersea cable connecting the African continent
and the Middle East area. Many Silicon Valley IT businesses have been investing heavily
in Africa in recent years, recognizing the continent's enormous commercial potential.
According to a recent report by China Global Investment Tracker, Chinese technology investments
and contracts in Sub Saharan Africa are estimated to be $7.2 billion between 2005 and 2020,
with Huawei and ZTE establishing more than 43G networks in more than 30 African countries,
as well as successfully completing national fiber optic construction in several African
countries. If you enjoyed this video, and you will like
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