Starlink opens to first bookings

The idea of ​​a satellite connection has been in the air for many years, ever since solutions were sought for the rampant digital divide which (even after some time) still grips many peripheral areas around the world. The fact that Starlink is about to bring its solution to fruition means that the utopia of the time, once sunk by impossible times of latency, is today something concrete. Moreover, everything will also be available in Italy, or at least this is what seems to transpire from the contact form which also includes addresses from our country.

The difference compared to the satellites of the past lies in the fact that they gravitate around the ground at a much shorter distance, which improves performance and greatly reduces latency times due to the long distances the signal has to travel.



This conceptual difference makes the difference. Further works would also be underway to reduce the visibility of satellites from the earth's surface (which is now quite evident at night), so as to eliminate the disturbance in observing the stars.

Starlink, let's go

Starlink has already brought its satellites into orbit, the first 10,000 testers would already be connected to the beta phase and is now about to move to the first commercial phase:

People who are outside the current area of ​​availability for the #Starlink Beta can place a $ 99 deposit to acquire the service once it becomes available in your region - NET mid-to-late 2021, for example.

“Orders will be fulfilled on a first-come, first -served basis. " pic.twitter.com/lgEKFTd0V8

- Tyler Gray (@ TylerG1998) February 9, 2021



According to what is indicated on the official website, the first step involves accepting a limited number of bookings, probably in order to optimize the service before a more extensive coverage. “First-come, first served”: the principle is explicit. The promise is of a speed that varies from 50 to 150 Mb / s with latency times between 20 and 40 milliseconds (just enough for video calls and online gaming, although on the latter point more certainties would be needed by virtue of the particular needs that this area requires). A small white antenna on the building will collect the signal from the satellites and bring the band inside through a special Wifi router.

The request for booking is a deposit of $ 99. It's Italy? Here is what the booking form suggests:



To tell the truth it is a form with obvious bugs, since the search returns results that are nothing short of unreliable both using physical addresses and Plus Codes suggested. In theory, as of today, Starlink cannot yet offer its service in Italy, but according to some reports the procedures have been started and so also in other European areas. In short, the debut should first take place in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Nothing prevents you from attempting a reservation even in Italy, waiting for the process to be unblocked and your name to be at the top of the list of potential customers.