SpaceX is aiming to double the download speeds on its satellite internet system Starlink to 300Mbps later this year, according to CEO Elon Musk.
Musk tweeted the news to a new Starlink customer, who was able to receive 70Mbps, and then 130Mbps download speeds, after setting up the satellite dish outside his home.
In the same tweet, Musk said SpaceX is also working to bring down Starlink’s latency to 20 milliseconds later this year. Currently, the system averages at around 30 milliseconds, which is still on par with ground-based internet services.
The improvements promise to make Starlink even more appealing for internet users across the globe who are stuck with slow broadband connectivity. Through Starlink, SpaceX can theoretically deliver high-speed internet to any location on the planet.
To achieve the faster speeds and coverage, SpaceX has been working to launch more Starlink satellites into orbit. The company currently has about 1,000 in operation around the planet, but it envisions the system one day spanning tens of thousands of satellites, enabling download speeds up to 10Gbps.
The big question facing Starlink is availability. The system is currently serving about 10,000 subscribers, who are mainly based in the northern US and lower Canada. However, hundreds of thousands of internet users across all 50 states in the US have expressed interest in trying out the service, SpaceX told the FCC earlier this month.
The good news is that anyone can pre-order the Starlink service on its official website. But the company doesn’t plan on expanding coverage to many US states until mid to late 2021. Customers must also pay a $499 one-time fee for the equipment and then $99 a month for the internet plan.
On Twitter, Musk added that his company is still on track to roll out Starlink globally this year. “Most of Earth by end of year, all by next year, then it’s about densifying coverage,” he said in a follow-up tweet.