SpaceX rocket launch failure leads to 20 Starlink satellites falling from sky, prompting probe The service involves significant upfront costs and monthly fees, reflecting its high-capacity specialization. Clients wanting to build a community gateway should expect to pay $1.25 million upfront, with monthly access fees starting at $75,000 per Gbps. SpaceX has already received experimental licenses from the FCC to test the service using its drone landing pad ships as gateway stations. The expansion is not without its logistical and market hurdles. For instance, connecting cell phones to satellites hundreds of kilometers away is challenging due to the low antenna gain and transmit power of mobile devices. Starlink is competing with terrestrial networks in some applications and locations, so it has a disadvantage on a cost-per-Gbps basis, particularly against fiber optic networks. Whether satellite internet services can eventually achieve economic viability is debatable. Questions regarding its ability to generate enough revenue to offset the enormous investment costs remain unanswered. So, its potential for mass adoption is uncertain. Satellite market research company Quilty Space notes that SpaceX only recently turned profitable. Still, it surpassed negative expectations previously voiced by many industry veterans. The company has deployed more than 5,000 satellites and appears to have a steady cash flow and sufficient funds to invest in the future. 1 comment