Starlink
- Q57 Will Starlink work as a phone?
Direct high-bandwidth satellite-to-phone needs new phone chipset frequencies, about a two-year hardware cycle, plus matching satellites. Phones using the acquired spectrum should start shipping in around two years; you should be able to watch video anywhere, including in normal homes, without putting terrestrial…
- Q117 What's the long-term vision for Starlink?
Launching satellites taps out around $3 billion a year; providing broadband is more like an order of magnitude more, roughly $30 billion. Starlink will serve the 3–4% hardest-to-reach customers for telcos, not compete in high-density 5G cities.
- Q104 Why is Tesla putting Starlink in its vehicles?
Listing SpaceX collaborations after the merger question, he said Starlink is going into Cybercab because robotaxis need coverage everywhere, including cellular dead zones in Silicon Valley, and because passengers will want 4K live sports and other high-bandwidth use that cellular cannot cheaply support.
- Q60 Will Starlink go public?
He said Starlink may go public at some point but he is in no rush, citing public-company overhead and lawsuits.
- Q77 When will Starlink be available in India? (asked on X)
He said he is looking forward to serving India with Starlink.
- Q93 How can we get fast internet on Mars? (asked on X)
Communications is very important. We will need terabit-level communication between Earth and Mars, which means a tight-beam laser system and relays, because sometimes Mars is on the other side of the Sun.
Then and now
- Starlink subscribers: then vs now
Stated reach and subscriber counts for Starlink, 2020 to 2026.