Starlink 'not up to task' of delivering broadband

Elon Musk's satellite internet company, Starlink, operates more than two-thirds of the active satellites orbiting the earth and is set to take a share of more than $40bn of US public funding for rural broadband. But doubts are now rising over whether it can reliably deliver the service.

- James Ball

Starlink aims to offer reliable and high-speed internet in locations traditional broadband struggles to reach, or where laying fibre-optic cable is not financially viable. It is in use in international shipping and in remoter reaches of the Amazon as well as being used extensively by Ukraine near the Russian frontline.

It is now set to get significant US government funding — money initially allocated by Joe Biden’s White House — to help rural communities link to broadband services. But analysis published last month by not-for-profit research institute X-Lab suggests the technology is not up to the task.

Its research suggests that at normal usage levels, the satellite service would become overloaded with as few as six or seven subscribers per square mile, and this would push its speeds well below the US legal minimum for broadband.