SpaceX‘s Starlink satellite internet is seemingly helping those working in Antarctica to stay in touch with their families while they are away.
What Happened: An X user, who goes by the name Maus Incognito on the social media platform, said last week that Starlink has been a “game changer” for him to stay in touch with his family while also managing his business affairs back home while he works on an Antarctic research ship.
The user said that he spends 3-4 months away from his family on the ship between October and May.
“Best technology for seafarers in the last 20 years by far,” the user wrote. “Being able to video call whilst standing on sea ice next to the ship and show your family LIVE. Amazing, with penguins and all!”
Before Starlink, Maus said, he could use Messenger, maybe load emails or make a VoIP call. However, with Starlink, the researchers are able to do everything at broadband speeds including streaming Netflix.
“Starlink enabled real time data to be observed and they are able to send the ship immediately to areas of interest and to recapture data with holes in it. Rather than doing additional future voyages which is very expensive, we capture more solid data first go,” he added.
The user, however, did not divulge the name of the ship he is working on, saying it’s classified information.
Other Users And Feedback: During Carnival Corp‘s second-quarter earnings call last month, company CEO Josh Weinstein said, “We completed the rollout of Starlink this quarter, another revenue uplift opportunity and a real game changer for our onboard connectivity experience, enabling us to deliver the same high-speed WiFi service available on land throughout our fleet. Not only does this technology provide our guests with more flexibility to stay connected, it enables our crew to stay in touch with friends and loved ones, and it enhances our onboard operational systems, a win-win-win.”
Carnival started rolling out Starlink in December 2022 with Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruises ships. In May, the company announced that all of its ships across its global fleet are now equipped with the technology.
Why It Matters: Starlink is the satellite internet segment of Musk’s SpaceX. The service is now available across 100 countries, providing connectivity to over 3 million customers. Musk has previously claimed that Starlink works from “tarmac to high altitude” with the same responsiveness as a ground Internet connection.
Starlink achieved a breakeven cash flow in November 2023. In Sept. 2020, Musk said that SpaceX would probably IPO just Starlink when its revenue growth is ‘smooth and predictable.’
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Photo courtesy: SpaceX
