SpaceX plans to deploy close to 12,000 satellites in three orbits by 2025: first about 1,600 satellites in a 550 km orbit, then 2,800 satellites in a 1,150 km orbit, and finally about 7,500 satellites in a 340 km orbit. The entire program is expected to require an expenditure of about $10 billion.
So far, the total number of deployed satellites is 1385 and services have started to be provided in some regions.
Both Australia and New Zealand in the Oceania region have started to provide services from 2021.
According to Starlink NZ’s official website, the number of available accesses is currently limited and hardware devices are issued on a first-come, first-served basis.
A Christchurch subscriber took video of the unboxing after receiving the goods, and when it was opened, most of the box was filled with dish-type antennas.
This game console-like device is the wifi transmitter.
Immediately after opening the box to test if it would work, the antenna was set up outside on a car, while the wifi device was connected to a power source indoors.
With all the wires in the device box, the installation process is very easy and the wires at the antenna end are long enough.
After starting up, the outdoor antenna part will automatically find the satellite, so users don’t have to adjust the angle by themselves, they will see the antenna itself looking for the most suitable offset angle.
The machine startup process takes about 1 minute, and then takes a few minutes for automatic positioning, which is basically plug and play.
According to previous foreign news, Starlink Starlink network average speed is close to 80Mbps, upload speed 14Mbps, and with the improvement of hardware and software, the test results speed is still rapidly increasing.
In the first real test of this user in New Zealand, the speed was not ideal because the wifi distance and the phone were too far away.
When the phone was close to the wifi, the speed started to improve, and the download speed of 60Mbps was measured with spark’s speed test.
In the following days of continuous testing, this New Zealand user has a few feelings, which I would like to share with you here.
Speed test results vary
The speed test results will vary from time to time, sometimes it is fast, sometimes it is a little slow. The less stable network is related to the fact that there are not enough satellites now.
Starlink promised that the network latency would be 20ms~40ms, but it seems that the results in New Zealand have not yet reached this level.
Beta test users in New Zealand were able to achieve network speeds of about 150Mbps, but the maximum network latency was close to 100ms, so there is room for further improvement.
According to the 2020 test results, the foreign Starlink network has 95% of the test results with latency below 42ms and 50% of the tests below 30ms.
Installation is particularly easy to use
At present, New Zealand and other places are using Beta version, and the ease of use has been well evaluated.
There is a powered Ethernet cable from the antenna array to the power supply, and a powered Ethernet cable from the power supply to the router. There’s no setup required, other than the need to manually place the device on the roof and set the Wi-Fi name and password, and all the tricky work is automated.
However, New Zealand test users warned of a problem, the antenna array is rather power hungry and generates a lot of heat, and you can feel a burst of heat when your hand is near the antenna, so it may not be suitable for the kind of people who are worried about radiation, or need to put the antenna end far away.
In October 2020, two SpaceX executives said that the company is working on a software upgrade that is expected to increase the overall performance of the Starlink network to 2.5 times its original size. In addition, he revealed that the network’s throughput performance has also been improved.
No problem with external devices, streaming media
New Zealand Beta users also tested how many devices can be driven with an external security gateway, and the results were also satisfactory.
With an external gateway and then 6 wifi transmitting devices, a total of 5 Apple TVs in this building, whether 4k or regular content, can be played smoothly. This includes Youtube TV or other streaming media, all of which can be played without delay and without problems.
All in all, it is still satisfactory for the initial New Zealand users, streaming, low latency video conferencing and games are easily accessible.
Even in Beta, the performance is very good, so “I’m looking forward to the service really getting mature”.
Finally, let’s also talk about pricing. According to Starlink NZ, the price of the hardware device is $799 and the service cost is $159 per month, which is a screenshot of an order from a subscriber in Auckland.
This price is still attractive for companies and individuals who need to set up a network in remote areas, such as some outdoor attractions, or hostels and B&Bs in rural areas, etc.
However, the collection time may vary across New Zealand, and some areas will not be served until the second half of the year.
The above is for enthusiasts’ reference, the new access is already here, and it is EXCITING.
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