SpaceX’s Starlink satellites are designed to provide broadband internet service from low Earth orbit (LEO). The constellation will consist of thousands of small satellites in multiple orbital planes, with the first phase expected to be operational in 2020. Ground stations will communicate with the satellites using Ku-band frequencies, and users will connect to the internet via terminals that send and receive millimeter wave signals.
The system is designed to provide coverage anywhere on the globe, including at latitudes higher than 70 degrees where geostationary satellite coverage is limited. In theory, each ground station could communicate with up to 1,000 active satellites at a time, though the number of simultaneous connections may be limited by factors such as terminal availability and weather conditions.
Starlink’s performance will vary depending on a number of factors, including user location, terminal type, weather conditions, and satellite orbital position. In general, however, SpaceX says that users can expect download speeds of 50-150Mbps and upload speeds of 5-25Mbps. The company is also working on ways to increase bandwidth and reduce latency even further.