Elon Musk’s second company has hit a major milestone, expanding its Starlink internet service to the UK, its first international market.
Starlink is a satellite constellation in low-Earth orbit that provides internet access. Unlike previous incarnations of satellite internet, Starlink’s low-Earth orbit allows it provide speeds and latency that are competitive with traditional broadband. In fact, early adopters are reporting speeds in excess of 150 Mbps download, more than 30 Mbps upload and latency in the 30s.
With a successful beta test in the US and Canada, Starlink has now been approved for use in the UK, with the first kits already reaching people’s homes, according to Business Insider.
Philip Hall, a resident of rural Devon in southwest England was only getting 0.5 Mbps with his previous internet service. After receiving the Starlink equipment, he’s now averaging 85 Mbps.
“Within the hour we ran a Zoom quiz with grandchildren — it was wonderful,” he told BI.
The company has also received approval for Greece, Germany, and Australia. If people continue to see the results initial adopters are seeing, Starlink could be a game-changer for rural and underserved communities.