SpaceX: Elon Musk-backed Starlink satellite internet service gets over half a million pre-bookings

Elon Musk backed SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service has already received more than 500,000 orders and the company believes it will not face any technical problems while meeting the demand. The company initiated the pre-orders earlier this year for a $99 refundable deposit.

In response to a CNBC report that said the $99 (roughly Rs. 7,300) deposits SpaceX took for the service were fully refundable and did not guarantee service, Musk posted a tweet saying “Only limitation is high density of users in urban areas. Most likely, all of the initial 500k will receive service. More of a challenge when we get into the several million user range.”

Only limitation is high density of users in urban areas. Most likely, all of the initial 500k will receive service. More of a challenge when we get into the several million user range.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 4, 2021

The new internet service that will make web access more affordable for people in remote areas worldwide including in India should be fully mobile later this year, Musk had said earlier. The satellite broadband company will double the internet speed to 300 Mbps this year.

The company currently promises speeds between 50 and 150 Mbps for the Starlink project that plans to deliver high-speed internet through a network of about 12,000 satellites. The company has already put over 1,200 of its Starlink satellites in orbit.

SpaceX has sought approval from regulators in the US to connect its Starlink satellite Internet network to large vehicles including trucks and ships.

The request, filed with the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), marks a move to expand the Starlink satellite Internet network from rural areas to other sectors.

Meanwhile, the Indian government will ask Elon Musk-led SpaceX Technologies to apply for relevant permits under India’s telecom rules before offering its Starlink satellite internet services in the country.

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“DoT has no objections to SpaceX offering the Starlink satellite internet service in India. But it must comply with the laws of the land and seek an appropriate license and other authorisations before offering the service to Indian consumers,” India Today quoted a source as saying.