Starlink capacity will increase 100 times in three years

SpaceX aims to increase Starlink capacity by approximately 100 times over the next two to three years. Elon Musk explained this plan in an interview with Ron Baron. If the prediction comes true, the total capacity of the network could increase from today's 800 Tbit/s to 80 Pbit/s. In addition, this figure represents a huge leap in terms of the scale of satellite internet.

How Will Starlink Capacity Increase?

According to Musk, there are currently approximately 11 thousand Starlink satellites in orbit. Most of them consist of the V2 version. However, the company has already started launching V3 satellites. On the other hand, new generation satellites are much more powerful than old models.

The capabilities of each V3 satellite are more than ten times those of its predecessors. However, SpaceX plans to put ten times more of the next generation satellites into orbit. Therefore, the increase in Starlink capacity will come from both the power per satellite and the number of satellites.

The first 26 operational Starlink V3 satellites were deployed on Starship's 14th test flight in September. The next step is to upgrade to V4. Moreover, Musk said that these satellites will be approximately ten times more powerful than V3.

What Does 800 Tbit/s Mean?

One detail needs to be clarified here. 800 Tbit/s represents the total capacity of the satellite constellation. So this figure is not the connection speed of a single subscriber. However, a hundredfold increase could allow the network to serve many more users.

The total figure therefore means moving much larger data volumes. However, the speed users will see will depend on how the network is managed. On the other hand, Musk did not share a figure on this issue. Still, if Starlink capacity reaches 80 Pbit/s, the amount of data the network can carry will exceed what it is today.

Possibility of Buying an Operator

Musk also said that SpaceX could acquire a traditional telecommunications company in the future. Because such a move provides access to additional radio frequencies. Thus, the existing spectrum can be used more efficiently. Additionally, this step could be a new resource supporting Starlink capacity.

But Musk did not name a specific company for a possible acquisition. The target timetable is clear: 80 Pbit/s capacity is expected to be reached in the next two to three years.