Starlink internet is coming to the Solomon Islands

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starlink internet satellites launched on spacex falcon 9 rocket
In an earlier post, I have written about how Starlink internet could provide better and improved internet services in the Solomon Islands.

A couple of years later and Starlink is coming to the Solomon Islands, as early as Q2 of 2023.

The Solomon Islands is set to experience a significant boost in internet connectivity with the introduction of Starlink internet service. This groundbreaking satellite internet system promises to improve internet access around the globe by providing reliable, high-speed internet to people, businesses, and the global economy.

What is Starlink Internet?

For starters, Starlink is a satellite-based internet system developed by SpaceX, a company founded by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. The system involves the deployment of thousands of small satellites in low Earth orbit to provide internet access to remote and under-served areas across the globe.

Starlink’s technology is different from traditional internet service providers (ISPs) in that it uses a network of satellites to beam internet signals directly to a user’s home or office. This eliminates the need for cables or phone lines and makes it possible to provide high-speed internet access to even the most remote locations.

So one could ask, why is this no different to satellite ISPs like Kacific and O3B? The difference lies in where the satellites are located (orbiting) above the Earth. Starlink satellites orbit a few hundred kilometres whilst the others have theirs orbit a few thousand kilometres above the Earth. Thus, Starlink satellites tend to relay internet signals faster than the others due to the relatively short distance a beam of signal traverses.

How Starlink will Improve Connectivity to the Internet in the Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands has long struggled with poor internet connectivity, with many areas lacking any internet access at all. This lack of reliable internet has had a significant impact on the people, businesses, and economy of the country, limiting growth and development opportunities.

With the introduction of the Starlink service, the Solomon Islands is set to experience a significant boost in internet connectivity. Starlink internet will be able to provide high-speed internet access to even the most remote areas of the country, overcoming the challenges of traditional ISPs that have struggled to provide reliable service to these areas.

Why Starlink is a Better Internet Option than the Expensive Internet Service Providers in the Country

One of the biggest challenges facing the Solomon Islands is the high cost of internet access. Traditional ISPs have struggled to provide reliable service, often charging exorbitant prices for internet access that is often slow and unreliable.

In contrast, Starlink’s internet service is set to provide a more affordable, reliable, and faster internet option to people and businesses in the Solomon Islands. With its satellite-based technology, Starlink is not limited by geographical barriers, and its pricing is competitive compared to traditional ISPs.

It will be interesting to see how this is going to disrupt the local bandwidth pricing. However, take it with a grain of salt that Starlink is not cheap, but when compared to the high bandwidth promised by the satellite constellation, the price/Mbps should be cheaper than those of the traditional ISP.

In some cases, you already have a good internet bandwidth from your local ISP, but you still use very old network switches or access points at your premise. Whilst waiting for Starlink, what you can do is upgrade your in-house WiFi with the Ubiquiti UniFi Wi-Fi 6 Lite, which is a Wireless Access Point with Dual-Band AP 2 x 2 MIMO. Improving your in-house network devices can help improve your internet bandwidth as well.

How Anyone in the Solomon Islands Can Order and Buy the Starlink Service

To apply for the Starlink internet service in the Solomon Islands, interested parties can visit the Starlink website and submit an order. There will be a USD$99 deposit charge to pay. As soon as the service is available over the Solomon Islands, customers will pay the remaining cost of the terminal and the recurring monthly internet charge. Next, they will receive a Starlink kit that includes a satellite dish, modem, and other necessary equipment.

Setting up the Starlink internet kit is simple and can be done with the help of an installation manual provided by Starlink in the form of a mobile app. The kit can be set up at a user’s home or office, and once connected, provides high-speed internet access.

Better said than done, because the right tools will make any network installations easier. Even installing the Starlink internet equipment may require basic network tools, especially to test out if the network installations are done correctly – the reason why I recommend the 18 in 1 Network Repair Tools as a handy kit to have for all network installation and troubleshooting tasks.

Conclusion

The introduction of Starlink internet service in the Solomon Islands is set to provide a significant boost in internet connectivity, helping to drive growth and development in the country. With its satellite-based technology, Starlink is well-positioned to provide reliable and affordable internet service to even the most remote areas of the country. We encourage interested parties in the Solomon Islands to place your order for the Starlink internet service to enjoy the fast and reliable internet access that is promised.


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7 Comments

  1. Brian, Colley here. I am interested in providing such internet connectivity to our remote community in the Northern tip of Malaita I.e my mum’s village at Gwouulu also known as the white-beach string band. Currently the internet connectivity can be obtained are obtained from the traditional ISPs such as Our Telekom or Bmobile but the services are bad or expensive or sometimes unreliable. If this is the magic bullet for the remote communities internet connectivity in Solo then I would be interested. Please send me more info to my email address as specified so that I will subscribe for the service asap.

    Tagio tumas

  2. By: Noah Clarke
    Published: November 23, 2022 | Last Updated: March 30, 2023
    Starlink has been a game changer when it comes to providing broadband internet to underserved areas. But if you are considering Starlink as your internet service provider, it helps to know the pros and cons. In this article, I’m going to cover the biggest disadvantages of Starlink.

    It’s important to note that many of these criticisms are my own subjective opinion. The priority that you or someone else places on these factors can be different. The goal here isn’t to change your mind on anything, it’s to simply inform you of some of the issues that other customers (including me) have experienced.

    Customer Service
    By far, the biggest disadvantage of Starlink is customer service and communication. I get a lot of emails and comments from my readers on the subject of customer service. Most people are simply wondering, “How do I contact Starlink?” It should be a simple process, as it is with any other business, but Starlink makes it complicated.

    Whether it’s a question about sales, availability, technical specs, etc., the unfortunate fact is that Starlink doesn’t provide any kind of public communication method. You can’t call them, email them, or even send a message on their website unless you are an active subscriber.

    Even when you do buy the service, official communication only happens through an online support ticket system. Everything, from simple billing questions to tech support, happens online through your account portal. Customers have complained about slow response times to these tickets. In some cases, customers wait multiple weeks for a response from Starlink, even for a major issue like service being down.

    Limited Availability
    Broadband infrastructure in the US leaves a lot to be desired. There are many people in rural areas that aren’t covered even by DSL or cell service. When Starlink launched in 2021, demand was high. Even now in 2023, demand is much higher than network capacity. The limited availability due to network capacity is another big disadvantage of Starlink.

    If you live in an area that is full, where Starlink isn’t accepting new orders, you’ll be put on the waitlist. Customers on the waitlist can wait months and even years before capacity expands. As Starlink launches more satellites, capacity grows. But the demand has far outpaced supply, so many customers are stuck waiting around with no other internet options.

    Price
    Starlink is more expensive than most kinds of internet. For the Residential plan, you will pay $120/month, with an up-front equipment cost of $599. Starlink isn’t much more expensive than other satellite internet services, but it is much more expensive than fiber, cable, 5G, etc.

    Other than the outright price, you also have to think about periodic increases. Starlink has increased their prices 2 times since launching the service. That means that, over about a 2 year time period since launching, the price of the service has gone up about 20%. It’s likely prices will change again regularly in the future.

    Network Congestion
    Another disadvantage, which is related to our previous point about limited availability, is the network congestion issues that Starlink customers experience during peak hours. Congestion is especially a problem in areas where there are a lot of Starlink users. During peak hours, from 5pm-11pm, users may see drastically slower speeds as the bandwidth supply is quickly used up by all the Starlink users.

    I’ve previously covered the slowing average Starlink speeds, so I won’t dive too deep into the details. But the issue comes down to supply and demand. Until the Starlink satellite constellation is complete, there is a very limited amount of bandwidth to go around. Starlink users will compete with each other, and this can lead to very slow speeds during peak hours.

    Complicated DIY Installation
    When you order Starlink, you are 100% responsible for proper installation. Starlink does sell mounting accessories, but unless you can find an independent satellite installer, it’s a DIY job. If you are even somewhat handy, most installations won’t be difficult. But for the average person, mounting a satellite dish to a roof is a complicated endeavor.

    but lets see how it will works here in solomon.

    1. Indeed, we’ll just have to wait and see how it works in the Solomon Islands. I think there’s so much hype around it, but as with any other system, there’s no such thing as ‘perfection’.