SpaceX by The Starlink service seems to be getting very close, as the company sent requests for specific address information to anyone who registered interest in its beta program this week. Now, a leak initially discovered through the Starlink subreddit (via Business Insider) has provided a first look at how the beta program will work and what is expected of anyone participating in SpaceX.
The hardware
The Starlink service will require the use of specialized hardware for receiving and transmitting data to and from the Starlink constellation, as well as a "clear view of the northern sky" to function. The hardware, pictured above, is a small SpaceX satellite dish CEO and founder Elon Musk previously described it as a "UFO on a stick". You can see it in the photo above, and it doesn't look so different from a typical satellite dish, although it is difficult to judge in scale from the images found on the Starlink servers.
Starlink will provide this hardware to beta testers for free and will be responsible for installing it themselves. Kits include a power supply for the dish, along with mounting hardware designed to work with a person's specific needs based on their home. The website specifically instructs beta testers not to use outside help when assembling the kit. Without a clear view of the sky, the FAQ notes, users will not be able to get a good connection.
Many existing satellite Internet service providers use cymbals at the point of use to enable the connection, but typically work with installers to configure it for users. SpaceX could also follow this path after the beta period, but clearly wants to limit access during this pre-launch test period.
Service
The quality of the Starlink service should be "high" if properly connected, but also "will not be consistent" according to the company in the FAQ. This is because SpaceX will perform remote software updates and other network optimizations during the test program, which means that it will not be a suitable solution for "game or work purposes", according to the text of the site.
Starlink also notes that it will monitor all activities on the network during the test period and specifically prohibits "illegal activities" such as downloading or storing pirated materials and that it reserves the right to "suspend or terminate" participation in the beta tester based to any such activity.
Users can cancel their participation at any time and are invited to install the hardware only if they are able to safely access an area suitable for doing so (therefore, if you are in a shared home such as an apartment , this may limit your ability to participate).
Responsibility of the beta tester
Beta testers are expected to keep details of their participation confidential, including things like network speed and quality, according to Starlink. It is also expected that they will spend between 30 minus and one hour a day "testing Starlink services and providing feedback on a periodic basis", with feedback provided via "surveys, phone calls, emails and other means".
Starlink also specifies that attendees will be ready to return their Starlink kits at the end of the beta period (at Starlink's shipping cost) or at any time requested. The company also claims that it will request credit or debit card information and charge a "nominal fee" (which doesn't seem finalized, but should range from $ 1 to $ 3 at the time of installation, then recurring monthly) to "test SpaceX's ordering and billing systems, "but notes in particular that the current Starlink service is provided free of charge, as well as the borrower's hardware, for the duration of the test.
Starlink sent an email to potential beta testers stating that it expects the private beta to kick off this summer, so it's not surprising to see that they already have resources and content in place to put it into operation for guests to participate. If all goes well, the company hopes to extend it to an open beta, with initial coverage in the northern United States and Canada, and to extend it to more geographic areas next year after the launch of further satellites.
