Musk confirms the operationalization of Starlink in Kosovo, what does this mean?

2024-12-22 09:23:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The American billionaire, Elon Musk, announced late Saturday that his private internet satellite network, Starlink, is now operational in the territory of Kosovo.

Musk, the owner of the American space company, SpaceX, wrote in "X": "Starlink now also in Kosovo".

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, said on Sunday that the arrival of Starlink is an important step in the advancement of digital infrastructure in the country.

"Starlink has proven extremely important in enabling critical communications during natural disasters or other national emergencies," he said on Facebook.

In October, the Regulatory Authority for Electronic and Postal Communications (ARKEP) in Kosovo announced that it had authorized the American company Starlink to provide Internet access to any location in Kosovo.

What does this mean?

With Starlink, Kosovo will benefit from uninterrupted internet, in every corner of the territory, even in exceptional situations.

Starlink has about 6,000 satellites, which are located about 500 kilometers above Earth, in low Earth orbit.

This means that they are about 65 times closer to Earth than traditional stationary satellites and, unlike the latter, Starlink satellites are constantly in motion and ensure that communication delays are 10 times smaller.

The member of the ARKEP board, Rrezarta Duraku Rizaj, said in November for Radio Free Europe that the operating permit for Starlink was an important step for the advancement of the digital infrastructure in Kosovo.

"The authorization of Starlink has the most impact on increasing national security, especially in times of conflict. This is due to the fact that the vast majority of Starlink's infrastructure is located in space and is invulnerable to possible damage in times of war or natural disasters on Earth", said Duraku - Rizaj.

She believes that this advantage can be used by businesses and government institutions, especially those of security, which manage critical infrastructure.

How does it work?

Anyone can order the services on the Starlink website, searching for the nearest address.

After the order, Starlink will ship the receiving device to the customer, which connects to the satellites in space.

Rrezarta Duraku Rizaj showed at the time that the user's receiver is small, portable and can be used in different locations, such as in the mountains, in difficult terrains, and other places where there is no good access to the Internet.

Pricing will depend on the local purchasing power of each country.

"The fee consists of two components: the initial hardware purchase, the terminal with accompanying equipment that is purchased once, and a monthly fee that will depend on the service plans that are available on the website," she said.

The Internet speed that Starlink offers is 120 to 250 megabits per second (mbps), depending on whether it is about individual or business plans.

Operators in Kosovo currently provide faster internet. Households are offered internet up to 500 mbps within packages combined with television services, with prices up to 35 euros.

Darsej Rizaj admits that in terms of speed, Starlink does not compete with local operators, but it is a good backup plan, in case of failure of land lines.

Starlink got all the attention in February 2022, when Russia started the war in Ukraine, and as a result, Ukrainians' internet lines were cut off.

Musk's decision to cover Ukraine with the Internet was considered vital for many operations of the Ukrainian army, but also for the recovery of energy and communication infrastructure./ Rel