Starlink, Elon Musk's satellite-based Internet service, is available in several countries already, but more than half of the countries and regions are not covered yet. There is a waitlist, which is currently available for countries in Asia and Africa for the most part, but also in some countries in Europe and North & South America.
SpaceX, Starlink's parent company, is sending out invites about a global roaming service for Starlink to interested customers according to a PC Mag report. Invites to try the service are not uncommon, provided that people live in supported regions. What makes the global roaming service special is that Starlink appears to offer it to users who do not live in a covered area.
At US $200 per month plus the US $599 for the base Starlink Kit, it is certainly not the cheapest of options in many regions of the world, but it may still be of interest to many worldwide. Starlink has not been approved by several governments, and it is not clear at this point how the company plans to circumvent these restrictions.
Starlink's regular plan is available for US $110 in the United States, €80 in many European countries and for £75 in Great Britain. Global Roaming Service customers would pay a premium of US $90 per month to gain access to the service. Still, in some regions, it may be a viable option to improve Internet connectivity or gain Internet connectivity at all.
SpaceX's Starlink Mobile App was updated recently for Android and iOs. The invite message provides details on the technology that Starlink will use: "Global Roaming makes use of Starlink's inter-satellite links (aka space lasers) to provide connectivity around the globe. As this is new technology, you can expect Starlink's typical high speed, low-latency service intermixed with brief periods of poor connectivity, or none at all".
Starlink promises that connectivity will improve over time, and that customers may refund the hardware within 30 days for a full refund of the hardware. Customers need to make payments in US Dollar and if they live outside the United States, need to be listed as the importer for the Starlink Kit; this may include additional custom and tax payments.
SpaceX sent the invite message to at least two people that live in countries where Starlink is not available, according to PC Mag. It is possible that the invites were sent out erroneously to prospective customers who live in countries where Starlink isn't available.
PC Mag suggests that SpaceX could exploit a loophole that allows them to operate in countries in which it has not been available in until now. The magazine hints at SpaceX's announcement regarding the official launch of Starlink's maritime service.
SpaceX launched more than 3500 Starlink satellites into low-earth orbit since 2019. The satellite-based Internet service has more than 1 million users according to SpaceX. The company plans to launch at least 30,000 satellites in the coming years to improve connectivity and launch the service in most regions of the world.
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