GBA 2021 - Summer Update

12 www.georgianbay.ca GBA UPDATE Summer 2021 COMMUNICATIONS Is Starlink Right for You? By Andy Metelka Fisheries, Membership, and Water Committees T here has been a significant increase in interest for SpaceX’s Starlink internet service in Canada over the past few months, as the service promises to bring connectivity to the more rural and underserved parts of the country. Since the service became available for many Georgian Bay residents earlier this year, several cottagers have requested information on how this new internet service will work. The goal of this review is to explain a little more about this emerging technology option so that you can decide whether it could work at your cottage. What Is Starlink? Perhaps you are already aware of Elon Musk’s ambitious Starlink program, with plans for 27,000 low-orbit satellites around the world by 2027. For those who are less familiar with the program, Starlink works by beaming down internet service through satellites. Since its launch late last year, Starlink now operates in more than six countries, and is expected to reach customers around most of the world by the end of 2021. Starlink received approval from the Canadian Radio- television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in late 2020 and started sending out beta invites in November. They have now opened up the beta program on a first-come, first-served basis and expect to expand their reach in Canada over the next year. What Does it Cost? The hardware for Starlink is priced at $649; shipping and taxes cost about $160; and the service costs $129 per month. These charges bring the start-up cost to just over $800. The kit comes with a Starlink satellite dish, Wi-Fi router, power supply, cables and a mounting tripod. How to Sign up Starlink is currently available to a limited number of users per coverage area in Canada, and orders are being fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis. If you live in an eligible area where capacity has not been reached, you can sign up for the program immediately. If you find that you live in an area where capacity has been reached, you can choose to make a refundable $129 deposit to reserve your spot in your area once coverage capacity is expanded. What to Expect During beta testing, Starlink users can expect to see data speeds vary from 50 Mbps to 150 Mbps and latency from 20 ms to 40 ms in most locations over the next several months. Data speed, latency and uptime will improve as more satellites are launched. Before signing up for the service, it’s important to remember that it’s still in beta, which means outages are expected. This should become less of a problem as more satellites are launched. Capacity will also be expanded so more users in coverage areas can sign up for the service. This means that people who live in areas where capacity has been reached should be able to sign up and access the service next year. We ordered one for the cottage and will let you know how we like it. Going to Mars is not in our game plan, however! Source: SpaceX