Starlink, the satellite-based ISP model owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has reportedly launched commercial services in the Czech Republic, according to online portal ISP.page.

The service, which promises broadband internet access in remote and rural areas, is tipped to have a significant impact on internet connectivity in a country where over 300,000 households currently lack access to high speed internet services.

The ISP claims to provide customers with download speeds of up to 150Mbps and uploads of a maximum 30Mbps with low latency and good reliability, while satellite news agency TS2 notes that the cost of the equipment and access charges – current pricing for the Starlink kit, which includes a satellite dish and modem, is USD499, with a monthly subscription fee of USD99 – could limit its initial take-up.

Starlink the newcomer began developing the platform back in 2021, claiming it would deliver reliable ‘5G’ connectivity in remote locations with poor ground cable infrastructure.

The link is provided from a network of more than 1,500 satellites brought into space by SpaceX, and provides an alternative to fibre-optics/cables in the ground or mobile broadband from wireless operators.

Until now, however, the service has been very much limited to select testing at the pre-commercial level.

SpaceX has now launched more than 4,500 Starlink satellites, more than 4,100 of which are currently active.

But many more will go up in the coming weeks and months. The company already has permission to send 12,000 Starlink satellites to orbit, and it has applied for approval to launch another 30,000 on top of that.