Starlink is already available in Spain on a limited basis and will be even more expensive due to the cost of licenses

Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, is now available in Spain. Company plans of deploying the service throughout the Spanish territory, they begin to materialize after the approval of the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures to use the communication frequencies with the satellites.

The company has begun to notify people who had made the payment of 99 euros for the reservation of the service. Like some users count on Twitter, the email from Starlink states that the service is already available in Spanish territory although “in a limited way”.

First steps of Starlink in Spain

Starlink explains in the message that users will be able to obtain download speeds of 100-200 Mb / s over the next several months as SpaceX launches more satellites into space and service “improves dramatically.” However, he warns that “there will be short periods without connectivity.”

It also invites the recipient of the message to re-enter their address in starlink.com to “check availability”. In case your location is still out of coverage you can make a deposit of 99 euros to save a place and thus be able to use the service in the future.

A detail that does not go unnoticed is that the service will be more expensive in Spain. When entering the address on the company page, the detail of what must be paid is displayed. The price of the equipment (499 euros), the service (99 euros per month) and the shipping (60 euros) look unchanged.

But nevertheless, now there is an additional amount of 9 euros per month labeled “Regulatory fee”. The company explains that this item is the product of the cost of the license to use the service imposed by the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC).

Precisely, satellite internet services, such as Starlink, make use of bands that are within the radioelectric spectrum in the public domain. This resource is granted to companies so that they can exploit it, but for this must pay for a user license.

Is Starlink a good alternative?

With the news of the deployment of Starlink in Spain, you may wonder what this service really offers and if it could be a good option to hire. The truth is everything will depend on your connection needs.

In general, cities have several Internet Service Providers (ISP), with different forms of connection: fiber optics, ADS, while in rural areas the possibilities are limited or non-existent.

Whether you are in an urban area where the offer of Internet services does not please you or in a rural area, Starlink can become a good option, although, as we have seen previously, not a cheap service.

Starlink works thanks to a constellation of low-orbit satellites, which from time to time make “enemies in space.” The company currently has about 17,000 in operationBut he plans to raise that number to 42,000 in the next few years.

With the current number of satellites, the service promises speeds between 100 Mbps and 200 Mbps and a latency as low as 20ms in most places where there will be coverage, including Spain.

Unlike what happens with most Internet providers, when you contract Starlink the company sends you an installation kit that you must install yourself.

You will have in your hands the router with Wi-Fi, the power supply, the cables, the base and, most importantly, the circular satellite dish (although a rectangular model will soon be used). This must be located in a clear area so that it can connect.

A Starlink smartphone app will help you find the ideal location for the antenna to “look” at the satellites. That is, from the moment you receive the kit and start installing it, you should have a connection in just a few minutes.

Images | Starlink