Demand for SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband system may push wait times into 2023.
Users in the US can currently place a pre-order for the system on the official Starlink.com website, which will offer an estimate on when the order will be fulfilled. In most cases, the site will tell you the service won’t arrive until 2021 or late 2022. However, one user on Reddit noticed that the Starlink website is showing a 2023 or later fulfillment date for users in certain areas of northern Virginia.
PCMag also encountered that fulfillment date when attempting to pre-order from a random address based in Round Hill, Virginia, which has a population of 674. “Starlink is currently at capacity in your area, so your order may not be fulfilled until 2023 or later,” the page reads.
SpaceX is currently facing a backlog of users for Starlink, which is capable of beaming high-speed internet to users based in rural and remote regions. Over the past year, the company has rolled out the system to over 90,000 people. However, another 500,000 people have placed pre-orders and are on the waitlist.
One issue that may be dragging down the rollout is the ongoing chip shortage. “We need the electronic piece part situation to settle down so that we can actually build the user terminals for the folks that want the service,” SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said in June.
Still, it seems the “2023 or later” fulfillment date is a rarity. We plugged in numerous other addresses in northern Virginia, but only received the 2023 date for the town of Round Hill.
It’s also important to note the official Starlink website is simply giving an estimate on when the order will arrive. So it’s possible the supply situation could change over time.