SpaceX Partners With Google Cloud On Starlink, Placing Ground Stations At Data Centers

Elon Musk-founded SpaceX is in the process of rolling out Starlink as a satellite internet provider around the world. As part of a new partnership, Google Cloud data centers will be home to key Starlink infrastructure in order to let enterprise users better access key services. 9to5Google reports: This partnership starts with SpaceX building Starlink ground stations inside Google data centers for "secure, low-latency, and reliable delivery of data" from existing fiber networks to space and back to end users. There are currently over 1,500 Starlink satellites in orbit, with more launching on a regular basis aboard Falcon 9 rockets. The end goal is to make cloud services, data, and applications available to businesses in rural or remote areas: "Connectivity from Starlink's constellation of low-Earth-orbit satellites provides a path for these organizations to deliver data and applications to teams distributed across countries and continents, quickly and securely." The first Google Cloud and Starlink customers will be able to benefit from this partnership in the second half of 2021.

Google Cloud CDN

[psergiu]

Want your site to load fast for the people rich enough to use StarLink ? Guess where your site needs to be located (or at least cached)

Re:

[TFlan91]

That's true of any service and the vendors they choose to use.

What's your point?

Re:Google Cloud CDN

[Chuck Chunder]

Doesn't seem like it would preclude other data centers doing the same thing? That is presumably part of the beauty of Starlink, you just need a bit of roofspace and you can have a termination point. Compared to most peering arrangements which would require running of fibre between you and the other party, this is probably relatively simple and cheap.

Re:

[Big Nemo '60]

Just a few months ago, Microsoft announced a partnership between Azure and Starlink. I guess these agreements are not mutually exclusive.

Microsoft partners with Starlink for its Azure Space cloud - SpaceWatch.Global [spacewatch.global]

Microsoft’s Azure Space teams up with SpaceX’s Starlink [geekwire.com]

I guess Starlink + Microsoft + Google want to outmaneuver Amazon (which satellite internet service is still to come).

Also, emphasis seems to be on both speed and low latency.

Re:

[AmazingRuss]

I can afford 100 bucks a month... I'm Daddy Warbucks over here!

Re:

[Reccashi]

Want your site to load fast for the people rich enough to use StarLink ?)

I'm paying $119 a month for 11Mbit DSL which really performs around 3-5Mbit with latency around 180ms. I welcome getting my payment down to $99 a month for internet that will be 50 times faster. $99 bucks a month is a steal compared to what I'm stuck with. DSL and older generation satellite internet are the only options available to me BTW even though a fiber main runs through my yard. I know because they've dug it up 3 times over the last 20 years for upgrades.

Exclusive?

[aaarrrgggh]

Wonder if this is a prelude to Google buying Starlink

Re:

[K. S. Kyosuke]

It's not. SpaceX still needs money to fund their Mars project.

Re:

[aaarrrgggh]

Pretty sure this would do it.

Re:

[K. S. Kyosuke]

If Google pays, say, $100B in cash for it, then maybe. Otherwise it might be wise for SpaceX to keep it.

RIP Starlink

[xack]

These datacenters will end up on killedbygoogle.com in a few years. Really should not give into the cloud trap.

How long until Google shuts their half down

[AlexHilbertRyan]

??? I give it two years.

typical ISP

[awwshit]

Trying to get paid on both sides of the connection. Charge consumers for access to the internet, charge content providers for access to customers. And fuck net neutrality, Google is paying more for access. But Marketing is sure this is all a benefit to consumers.

soon to join ballons and kites then?

[4wdloop]

https://www.bbc.com/news/busin... [bbc.com].

This is a huge privacy concern

[Falco54]

As someone who is both concerned about privacy and planning to use Starlink, this is really concerning. Google has become the antithesis of all things private and I'm really hoping that the Starlink network at these sites is separated from the Google network, at least to the point where Google can't monitor their traffic. I could absolutely see Google using this as another means to collect and monetize data on people's browsing habits. I'll definitely be looking into this before I start sending my data t

Re:

[nightflameauto]

Maybe Elon's just doing this briefly so that he can virtue signal and "cancel" it in a month or so like he did the Bitcoin acceptance with Tesla? Wait for this headline: "Due to concerns over privacy and security, we will no longer be hosting ground stations within Google owned cloud data centers."

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion