"Better Than Nothing Beta" -- Will Elon Musk's Latest Endeavor Find Success?

 Just this past week, Starlink's service beta has begun opening up to the public. If you are unaware of what a "Starlink" is, let me explain: Starlink is the name of Elon Musk's latest plan to launch thousands of LEO, or Low Earth Orbit, satellites into orbit around the Earth, providing high speed internet service from anywhere on the planet. It is a very ambitious undertaking, but with billions of dollars of funding from government agencies and private investors, along with the technology that already exists under SpaceX, it is a goal within reach. 

Seen here is an array of 60 Starlink satellites,
which will be loaded onto SpaceX's Falcon 9 for launch.

The technology inside each of these satellites allows for low latency communications between the satellites and ground stations back on Earth, which will provide customers with internet access on par with current fiber-optic internet technology. It has been proven to work, with previous demonstrations showcasing speeds of 50-150 Mbps, with latency at 80ms or less. This is what beta users have been seeing as well with their service, which showcases how well the service functions. 

A Starlink dish, which can either be attached to
a rooftop or taken portably on legs as seen here.

With Starlink's early success, and the backing of Elon Musk, the service is sure to find success globally where internet service is lacking or entirely unavailable. Even for areas like ours, here in Sussex County, where internet service is monopolized by sub-par options such as Service Electric or CenturyLink, Starlink will act as real competition help to push these providers out, or to force them to improve their networks. Especially in the 21st century, where internet access is growing more and more essential to our everyday lives, having this option available to consumers with bad or nonexistent service will surely make a huge difference.