Back in May, SpaceX received approval from the FCC to launch 4,425 satellites into space to build a low earth orbit network of satellites, enabling them to sell home Internet.
Now in a new FCC filing spotted by ArsTechnica, SpaceX gives hints at their plans to start offering high-speed internet service in North America.
According to the FCC filing, if they’re requested changes are approved, SpaceX could start offering high-speed internet before the start of the 2020 hurricane season.
“This adjustment will accelerate coverage to southern states and U.S territories, potentially expediting coverage to the southern continental United States by the end of the next hurricane season and reaching other U.S. territories by the following hurricane season. ” SpaceX said in their FCC filing.
In the filing, SpaceX is asking for permission to use “fewer launches of satellites—perhaps as few as half—to initiate service to the entire contiguous United States (as well as Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands).” In the rest of the world, “the modification would enable more rapid coverage of all longitudes to grow toward the Equator, as well as bolstering capacity in areas of greater population density,” SpaceX said.
Exactly how much will SpaceX Internet service cost? We still don’t know for sure, but earlier this year at SXSW SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk said it would be “low cost.” Exactly how low is unknown, but reports are that SpaceX hopes to make its Internet service extremely competitive. SpaceX has also said they plan to offer high-speed Internet in North America sometime in late 2019 or early 2020.
At what price point and speed would you be interested in high-speed internet from SpaceX? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think.
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