SpaceX apologises to customers for the delays in Starlink shipment.
Starlink plans to expand to 45 additional nations by the end of 2022, subject to regulatory permission.
Wednesday, November 24, 2021 | Chimniii Desk
Key Highlights
- SpaceX has apologised to customers who have been waiting for their Starlink broadband package to arrive.
- SpaceX stated on Tuesday, November 23, that silicon shortages over the last six months have hampered its anticipated production rate and ability to fulfil "many" Starlink orders.
- Online forums are replete with complaints from dissatisfied clients who have had their shipping timetables slide by up to a year, with some warned not to anticipate delivery until the end of 2022 or possibly early 2023.
- When a customer's Starlink kit is ready to ship, the company will notify them through email.
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SpaceX has apologised to customers who have been waiting for their Starlink broadband package to arrive.
SpaceX stated on Tuesday, November 23, that silicon shortages over the last six months have hampered its anticipated production rate and ability to fulfil "many" Starlink orders.
"We apologise for the delay and are working diligently across our engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing teams to optimise and streamline our product and facility in order to increase our production rate," the business stated in a statement.
Online forums are replete with complaints from dissatisfied clients who have had their shipping timetables slide by up to a year, with some warned not to anticipate delivery until the end of 2022 or possibly early 2023.
Additional complaints have been received from consumers who discovered their initial shipping dates had been abruptly postponed by a year or more after responding to a notification on the Starlink website requesting they update their service location on a map.
Starlink is currently available in 20 countries, beaming internet to clients' homes via SpaceX satellites in low-Earth orbit. In the United States, residents have been allowed to pre-order the broadband service for $99. The entire cost is $549 ($499 for the hardware and $50 for shipping and handling), plus a $99 monthly subscription fee for the internet.
Customers who are fed up with waiting for their delayed shipment may request a complete refund, including their deposit.
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According to the corporation, customers who pre-ordered the service can view expected delivery timings by entering into their account on the Starlink website. When a customer's Starlink kit is ready to ship, the company will notify them through email.
SpaceX just announced the availability of a new version of Starlink optimised for high-volume manufacture. The company stated the new kit performs similarly to the original and will begin delivering globally next year.
In October 2020, SpaceX launched a beta version of Starlink in the United States. It now serves 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, and Sweden, and had shipped over 100,000 Starlink terminals globally as of August.
Starlink plans to expand to 45 additional nations by the end of 2022, subject to regulatory permission.
The scarcity of silicon — a critical component of semiconductors — is the result of a host of factors. For example, the coronavirus epidemic fueled a rise in semiconductor demand as people hurried to purchase gadgets to work from home. Additionally, semiconductor manufacturing facilities have been temporarily shut down to halt the spread of the virus and protect workers, putting additional strain on the supply chain.
SpaceX is only one of countless enterprises worldwide affected by the silicon scarcity as a result of these demands.
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