The past months have seen a tennis match of submissions volley back and forth between SpaceX and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over granting SpaceX and its Starlink satellites access spectrum and link with the world’s smartphones. SpaceX urgently wants access, and the FCC has – to date – firmly declined. A report from Scotiabank […]

Starlink is pausing its subscriber drive in several African countries because of “soaring demand for its broadband service”. SpaceX says too many users are trying to access the Starlink service in those regions which are currently at network capacity. One local commentator said that Starlink demand has been “skyrocketing”. One source said that Starlink’s network […]

Researcher and industry consultant Dr Tim Farrar, of TMF Associates, has predicted that SpaceX’s Starlink broadband-by-satellite system is likely to end this year with around 5 million customers (although he stresses that they must not be termed as ‘subscribers’), and that during 2025 these would grow to around 8 million. Back in 2021 Elon Musk […]

Qatar Airways has taken the future of in-flight connectivity to greater heights by operating the world’s first Starlink-equipped Boeing 777 aircraft from Doha to London on October 22nd. Passengers can now stay entertained and connected throughout their journey, streaming their content and live sports, enjoying online gaming, or working seamlessly at 35,000 feet – all […]

History was made the moment the SpaceX ‘mechazilla’ mechanical arms grabbed the returning Super Heavy Starship booster. Even Elon Musk hadn’t wholly expected this level of success for his rocket programme. The Starship’s upper stage continued on its orbital flight to a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean and sufficiently on target for the landing […]

South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa has held talks with Elon Musk over Starlink’s availability in the country, and the discussions included potential investments. Ramaphosa told local press that the discussions had taken place recently. Musk was born in South Africa and still has family in the country. “I have had discussions with [Musk] and have […]

On September 8th Elon Musk told an enquirer on X that Starlink’s satellite broadband service is awaiting regulatory approval in South Africa. However, according to regulator Icasa, it has not received a licence application. Icasa made an unambiguous statement on September 9th saying: “Please note that Icasa has not received an application [from Starlink] as […]

SpaceX’s Starlink factory in Bastrop, Texas, is now the company’s largest hardware manufacturing unit, and is in business and expanding further. Local comments suggest the factory, which opened in July 2023 and is adjacent to Elon Musk’s Boring Company, is approximately double in size. The Texas factory is capable of producing 90,000 Starlink broadband terminals […]

Comments made by critics of Brazil’s government on X has resulted in Starlink being banned in the country. There are a reported 250,000 users of Starlink in Brazil, and Elon Musk says that SpaceX will continue to support them and not charge a monthly fee while the dispute continues. Musk said: “SpaceX and X are […]

SpaceX’s Starlink broadband by satellite system is offering free connections for emergency calls when smart–phone users are in rural or maritime regions anywhere in the world. Elon Musk, in a post on his X platform, said: “After thinking it through, SpaceX Starlink will provideemergency services access for mobile phones for people in distress for free. […]