SpaceX apologises to customers for the delays in delivering Starlink orders
Customers of SpaceX’s Starlink internet kit have received an apology from the company for delays in delivery.
Tuesday, November 23, SpaceX tweeted that its planned manufacturing rate and its ability to complete “many” Starlink orders have been hindered by silicon shortages over the last six months.
A statement from the company reads, ““We apologize for the delay and are working hard across our engineering, supply chain, and production teams to improve and streamline our product and factory to increase our production rate,” according to a statement.
Many customers have expressed their dissatisfaction on online forums after learning that their shipping dates have been pushed back by up to a year, with some being urged to hold off on receiving their orders until the end of 2022 or possibly early 2023. A number of consumers have come forward to express their dissatisfaction with Starlink after they received an email on the company’s website asking them to update their location on a map.
Starlink, a low-Earth-orbit satellite internet service, is currently offered in 20 countries across the world. It has been possible to pre-order broadband in the United States for a fee of $99. Including the cost of the hardware ($499, plus $50 for shipping and handling), and the cost of internet access ($99 a month), the total cost is $549.
A full refund, including the deposit, is available to those who’ve had enough of the wait.
By going into their account on the Starlink website, anybody who has pre-ordered the service will be able to see delivery estimates. Customer’s Starlink kits will be shipped when they are ready to go, and they will receive an email notifying them of this fact.
SpaceX claims to have recently produced a new version of Starlink that is optimised for mass production. In terms of performance, the new kit is identical to the original, according to the manufacturer.
In October 2020, SpaceX will begin testing a beta version of Starlink in the United States. Customers in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, Austria, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Switzerland, Portugal, Chile, Poland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Sweden, and Croatia are now served, and more than 100,000 Starlink terminals have been shipped worldwide as of August this year.
By the end of 2022, if regulatory certification is granted, Starlink will be available in 45 additional nations.
Many factors have contributed to the shortage of silicon, a crucial component in semiconductors. When the coronavirus pandemic swept across the United States, for example, individuals hurried out to acquire computers and other gadgets so they could work from home. In an effort to prevent the spread of the virus and protect workers, semiconductor factories have also been temporarily closing, placing additional strain on the supply chain.
There are many other companies that have been harmed by the silicon scarcity, and SpaceX is no exception.