SpaceX is now sending out invitations for the public beta of Starlink, its upcoming satellite internet service.
A few lucky Reddit users report receiving email invites for Starlink's "Better Than Nothing Beta." It will be pricey—$99 per month, plus $499 for a "phased-arrayed" satellite dish and Wi-Fi router.
The email invite adds: “Expect to see data speeds vary from 50Mb/s to 150 Mb/s and latency from 20ms to 40ms over the next several months as we enhance the Starlink system,” which is on par with earlier speed tests for the broadband service.
There’s no mention of data caps. But the invite says the Starlink beta may have “brief periods of no connectivity at all,” a likely reference to how the company is still sending up more satellites to power the broadband network. Currently, SpaceX has close to 900 Starlink satellites in orbit, but the long-term goal is to launch thousands more to enable 1Gbps speeds and global coverage.
“As we launch more satellites, install more ground stations and improve our networking software, data speed, latency and uptime will improve dramatically,” the email adds. “For latency, we expect to achieve 16ms to 19ms by summer 2021.”
Interested users can then click on a link in the invite to order the satellite internet service. For now, SpaceX is targeting users based in the northern US, and possibly southern Canada, where the Starlink system has better satellite coverage. Two Reddit users who received the invite said they're based in Washington state. Another said they are based in northern Wisconsin.
To help beta testers set up the service, SpaceX has also released an iOS and Android app for Starlink. The software is designed to ensure the Starlink satellite dish has a clear view of the sky when installed at the user’s home.
SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. So it’s unclear how many invites were sent out. To receive one, SpaceX has an email newsletter you can sign up for at Starlink.com, which will notify users about availability for the service.
If you received an invite for Starlink’s beta test, let us know at michael_kan@pcmag.com.