How does billionaire Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet system work?

Deploying fiber optic networks over a large area, from cities to remote areas to connect millions of people to the Internet is an extremely difficult task, requiring huge investment costs, long construction times and facing many geographical barriers.

From digging roads to installing equipment to ongoing maintenance, the whole process is complex and difficult to scale quickly in remote areas. But what if we could do away with that complicated physical infrastructure altogether and replace it with a wireless transmission system from space?

That's the vision that Starlink, billionaire Elon Musk's satellite internet project, is realizing to provide high-speed, low-latency internet connection from space to anywhere on Earth, with just a compact signal receiver.

What is Starlink?

Starlink is a satellite internet project developed by billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX. Starlink's goal is to bring high-speed internet to every corner of the world, especially rural, remote and island areas where traditional internet infrastructure such as fiber optic cables is difficult or impossible to deploy.

Unlike traditional Internet systems that rely on fiber optic or copper cable infrastructure, Starlink allows users to access the Internet almost anywhere in the world with just a dedicated transceiver.

This service is not only for households but also supports many means of transport such as cars, yachts and even commercial aircraft, helping passengers to connect to the Internet even when in the middle of the ocean or flying at an altitude of tens of thousands of meters.

How does Starlink work?

Starlink is a satellite internet project developed by SpaceX, aiming to provide high-speed internet connection globally, especially to remote areas where traditional infrastructure is difficult to reach.

Starlink's operating principle is based on creating a network of satellites (constellation) flying in low Earth orbit (LEO), combined with specialized ground equipment.

Traditional internet typically uses fiber optic or copper cables to deliver service to customers. Starlink, on the other hand, eliminates much of the need for this physical infrastructure by using thousands of small satellites, operating at an altitude of about 550 kilometers above the ground.

Compared to traditional telecommunications satellites that typically operate in geostationary orbit (about 36,000 km above the ground), Starlink's LEO satellites are much closer to the ground, significantly reducing signal latency, a very important factor for modern Internet experiences such as online gaming or video conferencing.

The basic operation of the Starlink system consists of three main components: the satellite network, the ground control station, and the user device (also known as the transceiver dish).

When a user accesses the internet via Starlink, the dish will search for and connect to the nearest satellite. The satellite will then transmit the user's signal to a ground station connected to the global internet, which will then deliver the data to the requested website or service.

Starlink also uses highly advanced automated algorithms to manage signal navigation, selecting the most optimal satellite at all times, ensuring stable transmission even when the satellites are constantly moving at extremely high speeds. The user's dish is also designed with the ability to automatically adjust the angle to track the best satellite without manual intervention.

In particular, Starlink satellites are increasingly more modern, equipped with laser links to be able to transmit data directly between satellites without going through ground stations. This helps reduce latency, increase transmission speed and open up global connectivity without depending on ground network infrastructure.

How is Starlink different from traditional satellite internet services?

Starlink isn't the first satellite internet system, but it's redefining the entire concept in a whole new way.

There are three main differences that make Starlink superior to traditional solutions: lower orbit altitude, huge number of satellites, and the ability to support direct connection from mobile phones.

1. Satellites orbiting extremely close to the Earthhelps reduce latency significantly

One of the groundbreaking changes of Starlink is in its orbital position. Starlink satellites operate at an altitude of only about 550km above the Earth's surface.

Meanwhile, traditional satellite Internet systems such as Viasat or HughesNet use geostationary satellites, located nearly 36,000 km above Earth.

Geostationary satellites have the advantage of always being at a fixed point in the sky, easy to connect to, and can cover a large area without needing many satellites.

However, long distance also leads to high latency, about 500 milliseconds, causing discomfort when using services that require instant response such as video calling, online gaming or real-time remote working.

In contrast, at a much lower altitude, Starlink reduces latency to just 20–40 milliseconds, roughly equivalent to traditional fiber optic internet, making real-time experiences smooth and stable.

2. A system with tens of thousands of satellites instead of a few

The close proximity provides speed, but also means each satellite only covers a small area. To provide global internet with low latency, Starlink needs to deploy a huge number of satellites.

As of April 2025, SpaceX has put more than 7,000 satellites into orbit, and this number will continue to increase to 12,000 or even 42,000 satellites in the future, forming a giant satellite constellation covering the globe.

This is in stark contrast to traditional providers, which use only a few large satellites in geostationary orbit.

3. Mobile phone supportwithout the need for specialized equipment

While traditional satellite phones require bulky, dedicated hardware, Starlink is aiming for a future where you can use your existing mobile phone to connect directly to satellites, no extra equipment required.

SpaceX has already begun testing satellite messaging to phones on Starlink satellites, and voice calls are also in development. As the technology matures and becomes more integrated into phones and networks, we’ll see a huge leap forward in mobile connectivity that no longer relies on cell towers, but can work anywhere from jungles to the ocean.

​More than 5 million Starlink users worldwide

As of April 2025, SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service has reached more than 5 million users globally, a significant step up from the 4.6 million users at the end of 2024.

Starlink now provides services in more than 125 countries and territories, with strong growth thanks to expanding coverage, improving performance and diversifying service packages.

The number of users is expected to continue to grow rapidly in 2025, with forecasts suggesting the number could reach around 7.8 million users by the end of this year.

This growth reflects the growing demand for high-speed internet connectivity, especially in rural and remote areas where traditional network infrastructure is limited.

Vietnam has licensed a pilot program to provide Starlink satellite internet service.

On April 10, SpaceX received a license to pilot the Starlink satellite internet and is completing procedures to put the network into operation in Vietnam. Once the process is complete, Vietnam will be the next country in Southeast Asia to have Starlink satellite internet, after the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Previously, on March 23, the Government issued Decision No. 659/QD-TTg allowing SpaceX to pilot the Starlink satellite internet service in Vietnam. Accordingly, SpaceX is allowed to conduct a controlled pilot in deploying telecommunications services using Starlink low-orbit satellite technology.

The pilot service will be deployed for a maximum of 5 years and end before January 1, 2031, with a maximum of 600,000 subscribers and must ensure national defense and security requirements.

The deployment can be done nationwide, with types of telecommunication services including: Fixed satellite services such as Internet access, leased lines for mobile receiving and transmitting stations; Mobile satellite services such as Internet access at sea and on airplanes.

Granting a pilot license for SpaceX to operate in Vietnam is not only to take advantage of Starlink's technological potential in expanding Internet coverage, but is also part of the strategy to attract foreign investment in the technology sector and national digital transformation.