In a recent development SpaceX have started collaboration with the telecommunications provider Salt in Switzerland to enhance the reach of it. After the collaboration Salt will be able to reach the far flung area of the country, where normally networks’ can’t reach easily using the ground infrastructure. In includes the difficult terrains like mountains etc, where laying down the ground infrastructure is not easy or not practical at all.
After this collaboration Salt will be able to provide Satellite to cellular service via starlink across switzerland including the areas which are not connected or difficult to connect due to difficult swiss terrain. This will be a huge edge of Salt over the other telecom operators in the area.
This will also help connect more people in Switzerland, the ones who did not had any means to connect to a telecom network and/or internet due to the fact that they lived in far flung areas, the areas without proper telecom coverage.
By 2024 the Salt customers will able to send text messages via SpaceX satellite based coverage from far flung areas and soon after in 2025 the service will expand to voice and data as well. After such contracts, obviously, sometime is needed for the implementation. However, after implemented and improved with time, service will definitely help the masses and specially those is far flung areas.
Specially, the tourists of switzerland’s mountains valleys will benefit hugely with this service, as they will not have to get off telecom network if they got away for some holidays or adventure. They should obviously be on Salt network to get benefit. Also, this service will be free for customers who are already on Salt’s premium residential and business plans.
What is Starlink?
For those with less of an idea, Starlink is a high speed, low latency, satellite based broadband internet service, which is targeting the customers from all around the planet earth. The service is more practical for areas where normal broadband internet services are very limited or not available due to difficult terrain.
Also, as compared to other satellite internet services, Starlink have high response time, low latency, as the starlink satellites live in near earth orbit, much nearer than conventional satellite internet services. One added advantage of this is, the radio signals from satellites to receiving antenna need much less time.
However, there is a con attached to it, which is, as the satellites are much near to earth, they cover much less area. So cover huge areas, SpaceX needs to put up more satellites. They are taking care of it already, as they have already put up more than 3500 satellites in the orbit. In first phase they plan to put up 12000 total satellites and later will be expanding them to 42000 in a possible expansion.
Starlink Global Roaming
Starlink currently operates in 50 countries, however, they have now also announced global roaming plan. You can buy starlink in any country or region and then take it anywhere else and use for just the monthly fee of $200 USD. This service is however currently available to only limited test users in select areas but will definably will be expanded to all areas later. Also Starlink is aiming to launch services globally in all countries after 2023.