SILICON VALLEY: Elon Musk’s Starlink internet venture granted Isle of Man base

SILICON
VALLEY: Elon Musk’s satellite internet
service Starlink has been given a licence to build a ground station on the Isle
of Man.

It’s part
of the company’s plans to deliver broadband internet around the world, using
thousands of satellites.

The
ground station will comprise a large dish which will send and receive data
transmissions.

It would
be the corporation’s third base in the British Isles, the others are in
Cornwall and Buckinghamshire.

Starlink
is an off-shoot division of the billionaire’s aerospace manufacturing giant
SpaceX which has launched more than 800 satellites into orbit already.

Telecom
analysts said competition for satellite broadband could help drive down the
price for consumers.

A statement
from the Department for Enterprise (DfE) said infrastructure was “already
being commissioned on the island” and it was “excellent to see this
project moving to the next stage”.

The
department also confirmed the company has been working with local operator
BlueWave Communications.

Sue
Strang of the Communications and Utilities Regulatory Authority said the extra
service would most benefit those living in rural areas.

She said:
“Starlink will potentially add more choice and switching options for consumers
in the already competitive broadband market.”

There are
currently 11 licensed operators on the island, including Mantis and Optifi.

The DfE
said the venture would “enable the deployment of satellite broadband
services on-island and further afield”.

It also
said the licensing of the island’s available spectrum would provide “more
choice for local consumers” and had the “potential for further jobs
within the island’s telecoms sector.”