starlink, SpaceX’s satellite-based Internet service, has long been looking to expand its service to airplanes, ships and large trucks. But they won’t be coming to private passenger cars anytime soon. Elon Musk has said it is unlikely that Tesla cars will be connected to Starlink “because our terminal is way too big”.
Recently, the US Federal Communications Commission authorized SpaceX to use the Starlink satellite internet network with moving vehicles, a move that will give impetus to the company’s plan to expand broadband offerings to commercial airlines, ships and trucks. (As someone who has recently experienced the limitations of Internet service on a cruise ship, I can attest to how welcome Starlink service will be.)
According to Reuters (through Autoblog), Starlink has long sought to expand its customer base from individual broadband users in rural, internet-poor locations to corporate customers in the potentially lucrative automotive, shipping and aviation sectors. “Authorizing a new class of terminals for SpaceX’s satellite system will expand the range of broadband capabilities to meet the growing demand from users who now require connectivity while on the go,” the FCC said in its authorization. SpaceX submitted the request for approval in early 2021.
SpaceX has launched about 2,700 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit since 2019 and has amassed hundreds of thousands of subscribers, including many who pay $110 a month for broadband internet using $599 self-install terminal kits. The company has spent a lot of time convincing airlines to include Starlink for in-flight Wi-Fi, after making its first such deals in recent months with Hawaiian Airlines and semi-private jet service JSX.
“We are obsessed with the passenger experience,” Jonathan Hofeller, Starlink’s head of commercial sales, said at an aviation conference earlier this month. “We’re going to be on the plane here very soon, so hopefully passengers will be blown away by the experience.” SpaceX, as part of a previous experimental FCC license, has tested Starlink terminals designed specifically for aircraft on Gulfstream jets and some US military aircraft. Musk has said the FCC approval will open up Starlink for use on airplanes, ships, large trucks and… motorhomes†
Competition in the low-Earth orbit satellite Internet sector is fierce. Satellite operator OneWeb is already a Starlink rival, and Cooper — owned by Amazon — plans to launch its own prototype satellites for its own broadband network later this year.
As the Internet becomes space-based, network owners will gain tremendous power over what information is sent and how quickly different content is delivered. Many salivate at the prospect of a faster, more reliable internet service, but is society willing to accept that individuals have so much control over what we are allowed to see and say in the digital universe? “We’ll see,” said the Zen master.
Do you appreciate the originality of CleanTechnica and the coverage of cleantech? Consider becoming one CleanTechnica member, supporter, technician or ambassador — or a patron on Patreon†
