Starlink – Our Internet in The Jungle
INTERNET IN THE JUNGLE
We all know the local internet sits at the mercy of the rainy season weather – storms and downpours often result in downed trees and landslides which take out the internet lines, leaving us in the dark. That is why the Starlink system is making a full force entrance into our local area – and while most of us have a basic understanding of how the sky internet works, the full story is a fascinating glimpse at the genius of Elon Musk and his determination to connect the furthest reaches of our planet.
The story of Starlink is actually a story of two systems – the second involving another Elon Musk company, SpaceX, and their innovative Falcon rocket, a workhorse which can deliver up to 60 satellites at one time (record being 143 satellites in one mission)! As of now over 6,300 Starlink satellites circle the globe with a further 12,000 awaiting deployment – when all is said and done, the constellation may consist of almost 35,000 satellites. Over 3,000,000 people are connected to the system with the number expected to grow exponentially as the service improves and the costs come down. If you are using WIFI on a plane or a cruise ship, you are likely using Starlink.
COSTA RICAN PLANS AND PRICING
The cost of Starlink services includes a one time fee to purchase the hardware, a shipping and handling fee, and ongoing monthly service payments. There are no long term contracts – so you can cancel the service without any penalties, but this also means that your monthly price can be increased at any time.
1- HARDWARE There are two options when buying the hardware:
a. NEW – Brand new hardware. CRC 179,000 or $339 USD.
b. REFURBISHED – Used equipment that was thoroughly inspected and cleaned. CRC 143,200 or $271 USD.
2- SHIPPING & HANDLING
This is a one time cost of CRC 13,000 or $25 USD – it covers the delivery of the hardware. In our area it may cost you extra to arrange for home delivery if you do not wish to pick up the package at a central location.
3- MONTHLY SERVICE FEE
The monthly fee depends on the plan chosen. Three general plans are listed below, these are for personal use. Business plans exist as well but are not in scope of this article. There are a few variations to pricing based on whether you choose to add extra features, but the base options are as follows:
- RESIDENTIAL – Unlimited high-speed internet for household use. Monthly charge of CRC 23,000 or $44 USD.
- ‘ITINERANT’ or ROAM – Unlimited roaming service on land, for use by digital nomads, RV enthusiasts, or travelers. Allows you to take your hardware with you and access services anywhere you go. Monthly charge of CRC 51,600 or $98 USD.
- BOATS – For use on watercraft in territorial or open waters. For this plan it is recommended that specialized hardware is purchased – the cost of this specialized hardware is CRC 1,530,000 or $2,900 USD. There are a few base pricing options:
- Monthly charge of CRC 153,000 or $290 USD for 50Gb of data.
- Monthly charge of CRC 612,000 or $1,160 USD for 1Tb of data.
- Monthly charge of CRC 3,059,000 or $5,800 USD for 5Tb of data.
Costa Rican Starlink service plan information and pricing can be accessed via the Starlink Costa Rica website HERE.
DELIVERY TO COSTA BALLENA
Many local residents pick up their Starlink hardware at the Uvita Information Centre, located next to the TRACOPA bus terminal in Uvita. The delivery address can be accessed HERE. The Uvita Information Centre is happy to advertise their Starlink service and researching this option may be a good start to arranging your hardware delivery.
INSTALLATION AND SETUP
Installation of the antenna will depend on your situation – if you are in the open with a clear view of the sky it will be quick. If your sky is covered by trees, buildings, or other obstructions, it may take a bit longer. Starlink provides an App which will help you to find a good piece of sky. Connecting the system is very simple and hassle-free.
Alex, our local tree doctor, specializes at installing Starlink antennas – in the photo below he is scaling a very tall tree to complete a job for a local costumer, whose system will have a near perfect view of the sky! To get in touch with Alex, check the information in the article we wrote about him recently – HERE.
THE WORKHORSE FALCON 9 ROCKET
Without the Falcon 9, there would be no Starlink. SpaceX has revolutionized and taken over commercial space delivery services, and Falcon 9 is a major part of the story – in fact SpaceX is now responsible for nearly 90% of all the mass launched into space! This rocket can deliver 60 Starlink satellites at one time and is very cheap to operate. Its secret is that the booster is not sacrificed as is the case with all other rockets – rather, it comes back to Earth and lands upright, ready for reuse and thus saving a tremendous amount of money (the payload fairings also glide down to earth to be captured and reused). So Falcon 9’s cost to deliver 1kg into Low Earth Orbit is half the cost of its nearest competitors. The rocket also has an unheard-of safety record of nearly 100% – with only 2 total launch failures in over 350 launches – so no wonder it has taken over the industry!
THE STARLINK CONSTELLATION
As mentioned earlier, over 6,300 Starlink satellites circle the globe with a further 12,000 awaiting deployment and an eventual goal of over 35,000 satellites. The satellites are placed into a Low Earth Orbit – only 600 km above the ground. Most other legacy internet satellites are over 35,000 km above the ground – so what gives? What gives is a term called ‘latency’ – because the signal would take considerable time to travel 35,000 km to a satellite and back down (and it has to make this trip TWICE in order to send and receive internet requests), this would introduce a delay which would make it impossible for support of high-speed internet. No live Zoom calls, no HD streaming, no high-definition online games. Starlink satellites are low enough so that latency is low and high-speed internet can be easily supported. Additionally, the large number of satellites ensure that the antenna can communicate with satellites that are overhead or nearly so versus satellites that may be further along the horizon – thus additionally reducing the latency.
The signals from the satellites are received by over 150 ground stations (with more under planning or construction). These stations are the in-between, connecting the satellites to the ground based internet infrastructure.
SATELLITES ONLY LIVE FOR 5 YEARS?
Yes! Because these satellites are placed in Low Earth Orbit of 600km high they experience a bit of drag from the random bits of atmosphere that can be found at those altitudes. So SpaceX, responsible for those assets, is tasked with safely guiding them back towards Earth – and so far nearly 500 Starlink satellites have been so de-orbited. The satellites are designed to completely burn up on re-entry however SpaceX ensures they fall towards the quiet parts of the Pacific Ocean, specifically an area designated as the ‘spacecraft cemetery’. This location is also called ‘Point Nemo’, a lonely stretch of waters that is furthest from any land, roughly between New Zealand and Chile.
YES, STARLINK IS CREATING SOME PROBLEMS AND ISSUES
LIGHT AND RADIO POLLUTION
The one that has riled up the most people is light pollution – Starlink satellites appear fairly bright until they move into the Earth’s shadow and effectively disappear from view. This can create problems for astronomers whose photos can become corrupted by the passing satellites. Radio observations can suffer as well, because the satellites radiate along the electromagnetic spectrum, creating radio pollution in addition to visual (light) pollution – and radio pollution persists even in the Earth’s shadow. Astronomers know the tracks of the satellite well in advance and can schedule their observations during periods of relative calm; however as more and more satellites are launched this will become exceedingly difficult. SpaceX has worked to design dimmer satellites and provide ‘sunshades’ to reduce their brightness; these are the satellites which are currently being launched and are considerably darker than the earlier generation of machines. Despite this, the issues persist and the conversation continues.
Nature lovers also object to the number of the satellites – no more ‘getting away from civilization’ and watching a secluded sunset without the dusk sky rapidly filling with dozens of streaking dots of light.
RISK OF SATELLITE COLLISIONS
With so many satellites operating so close to each other and at such a low altitude (meaning there is less ‘space’ for them to occupy as compared to higher orbits) reasonable concerns abound. In the worst case scenario, a collision between two Starlink satellites or Starlink and another satellite (or even a piece of space junk) could result in a runaway chain reaction where collisions create space debris which then collides and destroys more satellites thus creating even more space debris. This would go on until most or all of the Starlink satellites and other satellites in Low Earth Orbit are destroyed and the space debris is so thick that humans are basically cut off from space flight for many years (because these satellites are in low orbit, the debris would enter and burn up in the atmosphere rather quickly, about 5 years). This scenario is called the ‘Kessler Syndrome’.
SpaceX track all satellites and space junk and debris within the occupied Starlink orbits. On average, each Starlink satellite will perform three collision avoidance maneuvers in its short 5 year lifetime. In total, the Starlink constellation has performed over 7,000 collision avoidance maneuvers to-date. And SpaceX is taking the issue seriously – the industry standard is to maneuver a satellite if a risk of collision is 1 in 10,000; SpaceX will move a satellite if the risk is 10x less likely, or 1 in 100,000. Each satellite is equipped to perform a maximum of 350 collision avoidance maneuvers over its intended lifetime.
AN ALTERNATIVE WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION
Starlink is reliable and cheap, and is expected to become more reliable and cheaper as more satellites are launched, more costumers are onboarded and economies of scale take full effect. Falcon 9 launches are becoming cheaper and cheaper, and older satellites are continually being replaced with updated, more powerful versions. Starlink makes it very easy to order, receive and set up the hardware – and we hope this article has cleared up any confusion or unanswered questions about the Starlink internet service, specifically pertaining to our unique situation here in the beautiful Costa Ballena area.
All above information valid as of 27 July 2024.
While we are surrounded by jungle-covered mountains, untouched Pacific beaches, and wild jungle animals that make Costa Rica famous, our area is also full of modern-day conveniences…or so we think! When the green season storms roll over and cut our internet signals, it is good to know that now we have other options! Thanks to modern day technology, you can live here and stay connected. RE/MAX WE SELL PARADISE is your trusted real estate partner – browse our database of hundreds of local properties available for purchase TODAY, knowing that the tropical weather can no longer dictate whether you can work, browse the net, or chat with your friends around the world.
