Elon Musk’s Starlink Satellite Internet Service is available on all seven continents, including Antarctica, meaning that the company has met its goal of providing global coverage.
According to agency reports, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is testing one of its Starlink Internet terminals at Antarctica’s McMurdo Station, one of the world’s most extreme locations.
Starlink is now active on all continents, including Antarctica https://t.co/Q1VvqV5G0i
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 19, 2022
Starlink is a part of Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX). It provides Internet access via a constellation of satellites in low-Earth orbit. Recent reports show Starlink has launched over 3,000 satellites and serves over 400,000 subscribers. The goal is to have up to 42,000 Satellites by mid-2027.
By enveloping the Earth with thousands of satellites, Starlink aims to provide high-speed internet to areas that are rural, remote, and difficult to connect to broadband service. Ukraine is one of the most notable areas that Starlink is operating in.
Despite operating on seven continents, Starlink was denied approval by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for an $886 million subsidy to expand internet service to rural homes and businesses in nearly 650,000 locations across 35 US states. Starlink “failed to demonstrate that the providers could deliver the promised service,” according to the FCC.
SpaceX described the FCC’s rejection as “grossly unfair” and “flawed as a matter of both law and policy” in a regulatory filing.