Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites will be used in a test in the UK to bring high-speed internet to rural homes and businesses.
The government wants to ensure that everyone has access to reliable coverage, so they came up with the enhanced connectivity package.
It will see how more than 3,000 small satellites in low-Earth orbit can help more than a dozen places that are “very hard to reach.”
The rollout will be tested first in three places far away.
They are Rievaulx Abbey, which was built in the 1100s and is in North York Moors National Park, Wasdale Head, which is in the Lake District; and Snowdonia National Park.
After they finish the test, the government will think about whether or not the technology will work.
Recent tests showed that Starlink satellites could connect to the internet at speeds of up to 200 megabits/sec in many places. That is four times faster than the average UK speed, which is just over 50Mbps.
The person in charge of digital issues, Michelle Donelan, said satellites could fix the challenges of linking places far apart. And that it was “critical” to the government’s plan for Leveling Up.
Even more so when copper cables can’t reach them, satellites that fly low and beam down broadband signals can give people in remote places access to high-speed internet.
People in some parts of Ukraine can use Starlink for free to stay in touch after Russia invaded.
The Starlink project is losing money
Even though the project was losing money, Mr. Musk said he would keep paying for it.
In a tweet, he said that Starlink would keep giving the Ukrainian government free money. Even though Starlink loses money and the government gives billions to other companies.
Starlink has been a key way for the Ukrainian military and people to stay in touch.
This is the most recent information about Project Gigabit, a government program that will cost $5 billion. The goal is to get rid of notspots, which are places in the UK where there is no internet. Even so, there are a lot more than you might think.
Satellite broadband is a good option for places where operators can’t get cables. But it doesn’t make economic sense to put them in, and it costs consumers the most.
The government has to decide how much it will pay Starlink. On the other hand, after paying £529 for the equipment, regular customers have to pay about £89 per month.
Read Also: Starlink offers Iranians uncensored internet access
People have been wondering why it didn’t use OneWeb. It gave the British satellite broadband company hundreds of millions of pounds two years ago to keep it from going out of business.
The French company Eutelsat is now taking over this company. But the UK said it chose “ready and available” technology. Which doesn’t sound like a lot of support for its stake.
