SpaceX has revealed new details from its testing of the Starlink internet service, showcasing a data transfer speed of over 8 Gbps. However, for regular users, such speeds remain a distant dream.
Michael Nichols, Vice President of Starlink Development at SpaceX, shared the test results, which achieved a speed of 8102 Mbps. In contrast, the current average speeds for Starlink range from 50 to over 300 Mbps.
These high speeds were achieved using a mobile gateway technology—a specialized unit with larger antennas capable of supporting bandwidth up to 10 Gbps. The first such gateway is located in Unalaska, a city on an island near Alaska, and currently provides broadband service to local users through the internet provider OptimERA.
According to available information, SpaceX requires a deposit of $1.25 million to build such a gateway, with ongoing maintenance costs amounting to $75,000 per month.