Starlink is in 80 markets. Now what?
Three years since entering service, SpaceX’s Starlink internet is now available in 80 markets*, according to a Dec. 1 FCC filing. Dozens more are expected in 2024, mainly in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.
With Starlink available across North America, Europe, Brazil, Japan, and Australia, it’s safe to say the company has exhausted most countries and markets where initiating a satellite service is relatively straightforward. Going forward, gaining access to additional markets will be more challenging and likely slower.
Countries that are more difficult to access can be grouped into the following buckets:
1. Newcomers to space regulation. Countries that lack familiarity with licensing satellite systems may need to create entirely new regulations in order to authorize Starlink (or any LEO broadband provider). Small countries outside of Europe are more likely to fall into this category. While space agencies have become more common worldwide, space is not always a top priority in some countries. For example, countries that rely heavily on tourism may be less tech-savvy and unaware of how space could improve their economies. Plus, if a local telco has a monopoly on service, they may be disinclined to change.
2. Countries with local ownership/presence requirements. Some nations require locals to own a percentage of the company requesting a market access license. They may also (or alternatively) require a local presence of some sort. Countries like India and Indonesia – two places yet to approve Starlink – are well known in the satellite industry for the complexity of their local requirements, often precluding a large foreign presence. Getting through this can require significant local investments, such as offices and gateway sites. Sometimes, policy winds blow in favor of foreign companies, as was the case in the Philippines, where an easing of restrictions on foreign businesses paved the way for Starlink.
3. Untouchables. These are the usual suspects: China, Russia, Venezuela, Iran, and any country deemed hostile to the United States. Barring massive regime changes, these countries will remain inaccessible. Countries with geopolitical instability may also find themselves in the “untouchables” category. In Senegal, the government shut down the internet three times this year, making it of little surprise that it has not authorized Starlink.
Fortunately for SpaceX, its momentum around the world has put pressure on regulators to authorize the service or look like Luddites. South Africa has been in the spotlight as the regional odd duck for blocking Starlink over local ownership laws. With internet access growing in importance, that pressure is likely to grow.
*One big caveat: While market access typically refers to the process of getting nations to authorize satellite services within their borders, Starlink doesn’t use the words “markets” and “countries” synonymously. In a September Instagram post, Starlink said it was available in “all 7 continents, in over 60 countries and many more markets.” The company’s FCC filing says SpaceX “has been able to provide connectivity for millions of customers in more than eighty markets worldwide,” with no specific mention of countries. The filing later mentions service availability in several U.S. tribal lands, suggesting these are counted among the 80 “markets.”
SOURCE: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/1201354824567/1