By akademiotoelektronik, 30/08/2022

Benoit is one of the first Belgians equipped with "Elon Musk's Internet": how is it a "revolution"?

A few months ago, "points of light" illuminated the sky, in Belgium and elsewhere in the world.It was the launch of a large number of satellites for the big project of Elon Musk called Starlink.A good internet, everywhere and for everyone, with a simple (almost) portable antenna 40 cm in diameter.We met one of the first Belgians who got it.

You know the internet called 'fixed', that is to say access to the Internet via the wired network of telephony (Proximus, Scarlet), TV distribution (VOO, Orange, Telenet) and if you haveLuck, fiber (being deployed by different operators).And you certainly use, without even thinking about it, the internet says 'mobile', typically with your smartphone on 4G networks (5g if you are lucky) proximus, base or orange operators.

Benoit recently contacted the editorial staff of RTL Info, via our orange button alert us, because he is one of the first buyers of an internet which he judges "revolutionary": the Internet "by satellite completely redesigned by Elon Musk"".The very one who has illuminated the sky (notably Belgian) in recent months by launching his fleet of satellites.

A "antennist" in rent, passionate about satellites

It is with a certain excitement that Benoit presented his recent acquisition at home in rent."Since I was 16, I have been passionate about satellite.My parents were already working in a television store, I grew up in it ".

And he quickly embarked on the installation of satellite antenna, among individuals professionals."I have been independent since I was 18 years old.I am 'antennist', there are not many ... I install satellite reception kits for TV with people, in hotels or apartment buildings ".These are the traditional antennas that we see on many roofs.You may have ignored it, but "these satellite antennas can also be used to connect to the Internet.I have installed a lot in the region ", where the 'cable' access poses problem (see below).

All the "light points" in the sky in recent months, that was!

In recent months, Benoit has been following Starlink news closely.It is the internet by satellite marketed by the company SpaceX, which belongs to Elon Musk (the famous American entrepreneur who is behind Paypal and Tesla).SpaceX is a private company that has developed its own rockets (rather 'launchers') capable of putting a lot of things in orbit, and returning to Earth to be partly reused.Put men's orbit (especially astronauts who have joined the international space station last spring), but also satellites.And as you are never better served than by yourself, it is necessarily SpaceX which has put in orbit all the Starlink satellites.

Starlink satellites, in April 2020 in the Belgian sky (© Belga)

Yes, all the "light points observed in the sky" in recent months, including in Belgium (see our report last April), it was for that!Elon Musk quietly deployed her internet network via satellites.But you will see it, its network has nothing to do with what Benoit previously installed.Our witness talks about "a revolution".

How is Starlink "a revolution"?

"The internet by satellite for individuals, before Starlink, it was large antennas that had to be installed for several hours, then orient by hand using a special device.They communicated with high orbit satellites (at 36.000 kilometers of the earth) ", explains Benoit to us.

Starlink, "these are antennas that are smaller in half (about 40 cm) and lighter.They are mobile: they clip on one foot.There is a detachable cable that is linked to the Starlink router, which transmits the signal and the power supply.Everything holds in a box ".

After moving the antenna, she reorients herself (© Rtlinfo)

Very mobile, these antennas are motorized, "they are orient themselves towards the satellites" as soon as they are installed or moved.No need for installer, "and they are heating: in case of snow, they can melt it".This antenna is connected to a case which serves both to supply and transfer the signal to the Wi-Fi router, the latter transmitting the Internet in a good part of the house:

As for satellites, they have a big advantage: "They are in low orbit, about 500 km from the earth".This short distance drastically reduces latency, that is to say the time required for 'start-up', therefore to establish the connection and start transmitting data.It is essential for video meetings for example (no lag) or for online video games.By way of comparison: "With the internet by satellite before, it was 700 milliseconds (MS), or almost 1 second.With Starlink, it goes to 70 ms.Via the Internet wired of Proximus or VOO, it is usually between 30 and 40 milliseconds ".

Less latency, but more speed."I have installed it for about 3 weeks, and I have a fairly constant speed of 250 Mbps (megabits per second), and unlimited, there is no monthly quota.In upload (sending data from the antenna to satellites), I am at 30 Mbps.It's very stable: no disconnection, or we often work with us, my wife and me ".By way of comparison, people with very good access to Proximus VDSL can reach 100 Mbps, and it is generally faster via VOO cable.Fiber easily reaches 700 Mbps in Belgium, but the current coverage is very limited.The Internet by traditional satellite, meanwhile, "capped at 70 Mbps, and beyond 100 GB per month, speed was decreasing drastically", according to Benoit who installed a lot of kits.

Lower in the atmosphere, Starlink satellites are also more numerous: "There are a few thousand for the moment, but the launches continue and the objective is to arrive at 12.000 satellites, interconnected to each other, and which communicate towards 'teleports' installed in several places in the world ".In short, coverage that should one day be worldwide, and global."This is not yet the case, but ultimately, we can transport our antenna where we want in the world, imagine in the desert, and with a simple power outlet, we will have access to a very good internet".

No doubt, for Benoit, "it's a revolution.Elon Musk completely redesigned the internet by satellite, he saw everything and he takes care of everything ".Indeed, it is its rockets which send its satellites, which broadcasts its internet.And everything is ordered via Starlink.com, there is no intermediary."It's a genius! It's really smart".

For what kind of audience?

Efficient, Elon Musk's internet by satellite is more expensive than the usual rates of access to the Internet alone.It is currently necessary to count on an installation kit (antenna, wiring, Wi-Fi router) of € 499, delivery costs of € 59, and monthly payments of € 99.Too expensive ?"No, because you have to see who is mainly aimed at the internet by satellite".

Indeed, it is, a priori, not for all those who live in regions with a high population density, where Proximus and Voo maintain and regularly improve their wired network."A priori, it is for white areas", not covered by an internet worthy of the name (which sometimes caps at 3 Mbps, it happens again) or by 4G.According to recent figures from the IBPT (the Belgian Institute of Postal Services and Telecommunications), 46.000 Belgian households do not have access to the Internet fixed at 30 Mbps (which can be considered as 'basic' because barely covering the needs of a family), and 137.000 Belgian households do not have access to the quick Internet (100 Mbps, optimal connection for the whole family).These are mainly some less or not very inhabited areas of the provinces of Liège, Luxembourg, Hainaut and Namur:

"And believe me, at the moment, with telework, children, video games, tablets, videoconferences, there are a lot of people who would be ready to put the price to have good internet access", believes Benoit.

There are white areas, "but also new constructions: in certain streets, it is sometimes not possible to connect new houses, and some find themselves without anything".

Is it a "wild" Internet escaping the rules in force?

American company promised to some success, Starlink has been officially available in Belgium (pre -order because still in the test phase) for a few weeks.One could imagine, given the total independence of the system (it takes only an antenna oriented towards the sky and a power outlet), that Starlink and Elon Musk have not cluttered local legislation before settling.

IBPT, the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications, surprised us with its answers."Starlink is notified as an operator to the IBPT and can therefore offer its services in Belgium.This notification implies that Starlink must respect Belgian law ".These rules are linked "to the quality of service, to consumer protection, to respect for privacy, to collaboration with the judicial authorities, to mediation", said Michel Van Bellinghen, the president.And the IBPT "will of course be responsible for the control of this operator";that is to say "the verification of contractual conditions, transparency, how the service is provided".

Michel Van Bellinghen (© Rtlinfo)

According to the regulator, "it's always good news to have an additional player on the market, which increases the country's level of connectivity".It must also be said that, by being an official operator, Starlink must pay "an annual fee".

However, the IBPT confirms that Starlink addresses "a niche market, since in Belgium, we have very large coverage of fixed networks, with white areas ultimately quite limited".