SpaceX internet service Starlink asks for people to try it out

The satellites will first serve geographic areas located in “higher latitudes” such as Seattle and London

SpaceX has announced that it is looking for beta testers for its Starlink low-earth orbit internet service.

The company, owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, was launched in 2015, with the first prototype satellites launched in 2018.

Since then, the company has launched a host of new satellites from Nasa's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

There are currently 540 Starlink satellites in orbit. Eventually, they will form part of a 12,000-strong constellation to beam internet connectivity back to the planet.

Users visiting the Starlink website will now find that it invites them to “Get updates on Starlink news and service availability in your area” and input their email and area code.

When they do, they will receive an email stating: "Starlink is designed to deliver high-speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable, expensive, or completely unavailable. Private beta testing is expected to begin later this summer, followed by public beta testing, starting with higher latitudes."

"If you provided us with your zip code, you will be notified via email if beta testing opportunities become available in your area. In the meantime, we will continue to share with you updates about general service availability and upcoming Starlink launches."

People accepted for the beta will receive a user terminal – which looks like a flat disc antenna – that will point towards the best satellite signals.

Elon Musk has previously described the device as a “UFO on a stick”.

SpaceX board director Steve Jurvetson recently posted on Twitter an iPhone detecting five Starlink Wi-Fi networks, calling it the “simplest out-of-box experience imaginable.”

Each network is a different terminal, plugged in simultaneously to see which would connect first. Four more terminals were “still in boot-up and satellite acquisition mode“, Jurvetson also said, but would not share images of the terminals or the results of the “multiple speed tests [he] ran”.

Starlink is set to launch commercially in America and Canada later this year, with planned expansion in 2021 to over the rest of the planet.

Right now, the satellites will only serve geographic areas located in “higher latitudes” such as Seattle and London, before coverage spreads closer to the equator.

SpaceX will apparently provide download speeds reaching 1Gbps, with a latency ranging between 25 to 35 milliseconds. It is currently unknown how much the service will cost.

However, some astronomers have claimed that the Starlink satellites could disrupt optical and radio telescopes with others saying it could potentially block sightings of Earth-bound asteroids.