Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by Elon Musk’s space company SpaceXjoined forces with Dubai-based marine electronics company Elcome International to provide internet services to the marine industry.
The service, which uses Starlink’s low-Earth orbiting satellites — the largest constellation of satellites at such an altitude — will connect vessels, such as merchant ships, oil rigs and luxury yachts, with internet speeds up to 100 times faster than conventional ones. Satellites services, Elcome said Monday.
Elcome will provide its customers with advanced solutions that take advantage of Starlink capabilities. The company added that orders will be fulfilled from Elcome logistics centers in Dubai, Singapore and Spain with a variety of installation and support options available.
“The UAE is a global center for the maritime industry, and we are uniquely positioned and equipped to expand Starlink’s installed base of ships operating in the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean,” Jimmy GrewalElcome CEO, he said the National.
“With Starlink’s global service available globally in international waters, we have an aggressive plan to leverage our base in the UAE to bring the benefits of this great service to as many customers as possible.”
Starlink is a satellite constellation service It provides access to the Internet using satellites orbiting the planet at an altitude of between 200 km and 2000 km.
For perspective, the International Space Station It orbits at a distance of 408 km, while the Hubble Space Telescope is at a distance of 547 km.
The service provides high-speed broadband internet with low latency. Within each coverage area, orders are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Satellite internet is a viable option compared to regular internet services. For example, to access the Internet using a file 5G or any broadband connectionthe device must be within range of a cell tower.
The closer the user is to the cell tower, the better and faster the connection. With satellite, you can access the internet even in the middle of nowhere.
This decrease in latency [with Starlink] It is especially evident in voice and video calls, where the delay in conversations is barely noticeable compared to traditional satellite voice communication systems.
The global LEO satellite market is expected to reach more than $34 billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 17 percent from 2022 to 2030, according to data from verified market research.
For the offshore industry, users can experience download speeds of up to 350Mbps while at sea, even from “the most remote waters in the world,” according to Starlink.
Another benefit of Starlink’s LEO constellation, Grewal said, is its smaller, lighter, simpler, and cheaper antennas.
Starlink’s high-performance flat antennas weigh less than 7 kg, are less than 60 cm square, have no moving parts and can withstand winds of up to 280 km per hour.
“This means it can be accommodated on a range of vessel types on which traditional satellite domes would be impractical or impossible to install,” Mr. Grewal said.
In addition to withstanding extreme cold, heat, hail, sleet, heavy rain, and strong winds, Starlink can also withstand rocket engines, according to its website.
Starlink is currently available in 45 countries, most recently Finland, where services were activated in November.
However, it is not available in the UAE. The company did not give any indication of when the service will be available in the UAE.
“Elcome is looking forward to offering the service to more customers in the coming months,” Grewal said.
Last month, UK Government He said she was testing Starlink It also strives to provide Better internet connection in remote areas of the country.
Updated: Jan 08, 2023, 8:51 PM