South Carolina wants to connect more people, and is trying multiple methods to do so. The state’s Broadband Office is now test-running Starlink services to bring internet access to more households with school-aged children, as reported by Live 5.
However, SpaceX continues to fight for the existence of Starlink as it warns that Dish’s 5G plans would seriously affect Starlink users.
Starlink became popular after SpaceX’s CEO, Elon Musk, personally worked on Ukraine’s request for the service to cope with the Russian war.
SpaceX operates thousands of Starlink satellites in orbit, which beam internet connectivity to different parts of the planet. The company has been launching batches of about 40 using its Falcon 9 rocket.
Jim Stritzinger, director of South Carolina’s Broadband Office, explains why his office is considering Starlink, “The Starlink product is designed to go into the most remote rural homes. These places that are really hard to reach. So we wanted to do that.
“We’re hopeful that that folds in and becomes part of our strategy in South Carolina because there are as we all know there are some 600-acre farms, there are some remote locations in the South Carolina Lowcountry where it’s not ecologically feasible to build through the marsh and things like that. Starlink would be perfect for some of those situations as we go forward. So we think it has a part to play long term in our equation.”
The cost to the state for each household is about $3,000, covering the costs of the hardware and 12 months’ subscription.
Meanwhile, SpaceX continues to expand Starlink globally, with the Philippines coming on board later this year. The Republic of Georgia has also approved Starlink operation within its territory.
