Elon Musk’s company, Starlink by SpaceX, announced on Monday February 8 that they are now taking pre-orders for satellite internet service in the Mendocino County area. Starlink is an ambitious “constellation internet service” that relies on strings of low orbit satellites to provide internet service with speeds on a par with cable modems.

What does this mean for Mendocino County? For our rural area this constellation internet system is likely to be a game changer. Residents in those areas where internet service has been either spotty or non-existent will now be able to access reliable, high-speed internet service. Chris Herd, CEO of First Base HQ, explores the potential impact of the pandemic on the world of corporate work and possible opportunities for rural areas in a series of Tweets.

 Currently, sign-ups are on a first come, first served basis at starlink.com. Fees are $499 plus tax and shipping for the  Starlink Kit that contains a router, antenna, power supply, and mount. The monthly fee for service is $99. Internet speeds can currently deliver 100Mbps download speeds to users with the long term goal to upgrade those speeds. Installation is anticipated to be in early 2021. Starlink plans to launch thousands more satellites expanding access and data speeds. Learn more about the Starlink project here.

West Center is always happy to report news like this that will likely have a profound effect on the way we do business in Mendocino County in the coming future. Lack of broadband access is an impediment to getting businesses online with ecommerce sites, reaching customers via social media marketing, and taking advantage of regular email communications that keep customers and clients connected.

If you need help setting up your ecommerce site, please contact West Center today at 707-964-7571. Check out our recorded ecommerce workshops at https://www.westcenter.org/webinar-library.