Sun's 'peak time' may disrupt Starlink services
While Namibians might view Starlink's internet as the next technological frontier, mother nature could undermine this service's reliability until next year.
Starlink is an internet service described as "internet from outer space for people on earth." This service heavily relies on a satellite network that had reached 7,000 satellites by September last year but has already experienced two large-scale disruptions due to solar storms.
In May last year, Starlink warned its users of "reduced service" during a geomagnetic storm caused by solar activity. In 2022, Starlink suffered a setback when it lost 40 out of a batch of 49 satellites just a day after their launch.
According to the U.S. Weather Service, the sun is expected to reach peak conditions by March next year, bringing with it expected solar storms. The U.S. Weather Service had already predicted in 2020 that the extreme peak would occur in July this year. Although solar storms pose no threat to human health, they may impact infrastructure such as power grids and satellite networks.
Solar physicist Dr. Doug Biesecker of the U.S. Weather Service explained: "How quickly the sun's activity increases is an indicator of how strong the solar cycle will be."
"Although we've seen a steady increase in sunspots this year, it has been gradual."
Currently, Starlink's services are not permitted in Namibia. The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) reportedly confiscated several illegal Starlink devices in October last year. However, these claims have not yet been officially confirmed by CRAN, but the authority did state that it issued an order to Starlink to halt its services in Namibia. CRAN stated that Starlink has applied for a license to offer its services to Namibians, but this application is still under review. Therefore, CRAN warns Namibians that using Starlink's service is illegal at this stage. - [email protected]
Starlink is an internet service described as "internet from outer space for people on earth." This service heavily relies on a satellite network that had reached 7,000 satellites by September last year but has already experienced two large-scale disruptions due to solar storms.
In May last year, Starlink warned its users of "reduced service" during a geomagnetic storm caused by solar activity. In 2022, Starlink suffered a setback when it lost 40 out of a batch of 49 satellites just a day after their launch.
According to the U.S. Weather Service, the sun is expected to reach peak conditions by March next year, bringing with it expected solar storms. The U.S. Weather Service had already predicted in 2020 that the extreme peak would occur in July this year. Although solar storms pose no threat to human health, they may impact infrastructure such as power grids and satellite networks.
Solar physicist Dr. Doug Biesecker of the U.S. Weather Service explained: "How quickly the sun's activity increases is an indicator of how strong the solar cycle will be."
"Although we've seen a steady increase in sunspots this year, it has been gradual."
Currently, Starlink's services are not permitted in Namibia. The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) reportedly confiscated several illegal Starlink devices in October last year. However, these claims have not yet been officially confirmed by CRAN, but the authority did state that it issued an order to Starlink to halt its services in Namibia. CRAN stated that Starlink has applied for a license to offer its services to Namibians, but this application is still under review. Therefore, CRAN warns Namibians that using Starlink's service is illegal at this stage. - [email protected]
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