I am sure you have heard many news about Elon Musk’s Starlink. For those who are clueless, Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by Starlink Services, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SpaceX. We have heard how Starlink has provided unconnected regions with the internet, and how it has provided much-needed communication links in the aftermath of disasters. Now, it has come to your home, well, at least it is for the U.S.
The hardware you see here, about the size of a 14” laptop, is the Starlink Mini. The ultra-portable Starlink Mini features Wi-Fi 6, mesh support, and a 12V barrel jack. The device is expected to enable around 100 Mbps downlink with a latency of 23 ms, which is more than enough to support 4K streaming, gaming, and whatnot.
The unconventional consumer-grade satellite dish is designed to be mounted on the roof and therefore, it is built to withstand extreme temperatures and can survive assaults by hail, gale wind, and more. It’s 63% lighter than the standard dish and priced between US$250 to US$300. The Mini Roam service adds US$30/month for 50 GB of mobile data.
Another selling point is the ease of setup. All you have to do is to plug it in and point at the sky. There is a slight catch, though. Starlink requires an unobstructed view of the sky. That said I doubt it will be any good in cities. The Starlink Mini is rolling out in the United States. If anyone’s interested, you may check the availability of your area HERE.
Images: Starlink.
via not a tesla app.
