Starlink, Space X’s Low Earth Orbit Satellite service is ready and open for business and currently receiving pre-orders for those who are ready to try it out. The great news is that there is a chance for Starlink internet to reach Uganda quite soonas many will get access to the service as early as next year. Starlink is a satellite internet service company developed by Elon Musk’s Space X that was originally started as a source of revenue to fund Space X’s plans to colonise Mars.
Now the company is growing and won’t waste any time but get started with its goal of providing global internet service that is accessible to thousands of people around the world.
Starlink is now delivering initial beta service for both the local and global market. With the beta service, users both domestically and internationally will test out the internet service and use it. This could be efficient as the company prepares to distribute to over 5 million users in 2021 and 2022.
Also read: Google shuts down internet project in Uganda as it fails to reach goal.
The possible costs as you prepare for Starlink internet to reach Uganda
While you prepare for the possibility for Starlink internet to reach Uganda which could be in the year 2022, as you make a pre-order its important to know the rates and charges that will come with using the service. Getting on the list as a beta user will be $99 (Shs 362,900), the company will then charge you $499 (Shs 1.8million) plus tax for the kit. Your Starlink Kit arrives with everything you need to get online including your Starlink dish, Wi-Fi router, power supply, cables and mounting tripod.
The service itself will cost $99 a month. This is separate from the the initial amount that you pay only once at the beginning.
The most fascinating feature about Starlink in Uganda is the internet speeds that have been promised by the company. The company mentioned figures that only most Ugandans can dream of. As it provides the beta service that is its trial service, users can expect to see data speeds vary from 50Mb/s to 150Mb/s which is a huge upgrade and latency from 20ms to 40ms.
Latency is the time it takes to send data from one point to the next. When satellites are far from Earth, latency is high, resulting in poor performance for activities like video calls and online gaming.
The company also mentioned that there will also be brief periods of no connectivity at all. This could be attributed to the fact that the connection between the Starlink dish and satellite in space is very thin. So, as the satellite passes over head if there is a tree or pole in the way then expect your location to be a nit disorted.
In response to the thin connections between the dishes and the satellites, the company responded that as it launches more satellites, installs more ground stations and improves networking software, data speed, latency and uptime will improve dramatically.
Starlink satellites are over 60 times closer to Earth than traditional satellites, resulting in lower latency and the ability to support services typically not possible with traditional satellite internet.
Rural communities across different parts of the world lack access to internet connectivity due to limitations like ground infrastructure. However, Starlink is the solution to such a problem since its not bound by ground infrastructure to work. It can deliver high-speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable or completely unavailable.
To pre-order, download the Starlink App available on iOS and Android. The pre-order system works on a first-come, first served basis hence the longer you wait, the longer it could take for you to get started with this new experience.
The internet rates that will be required as many wait for Starlink internet to reach Uganda might make many leave the option out of such a great service with such promising internet speeds. This is because in Uganda the costs of the internet are already costly and take up a huge chunk of people’s budgets since the need to access the internet is slowly growing into a basic need.