SpaceX has updated the official Starlink website to note that the chip shortage is delaying orders for the satellite internet service.
A new Support/FAQ section added to the Starlink website on Thursday night includes a question on when customers will receive the Starlink satellite dish, which is necessary to connect to the broadband system.
“Silicon shortages have delayed production which has impacted our ability to fulfill orders,” the FAQ says. “Please visit your Account page for the most recent estimate on when you can expect your order to be fulfilled.”
SpaceX updated the website ahead of a nationwide rollout for Starlink that CEO Elon Musk has said will occur before the end of the month. However, mention of the silicon shortages signals SpaceX is still struggling to ramp up supplies to serve over 500,000 customers who’ve already signed up to try out the service.
During October, Starlink will also finally exit its beta testing phase, according to Musk. The new Starlink website is starting to reflect this by nixing the word “beta service” from the front page.
The site has also been changed to say Starlink can now offer “download speeds between 100 Mb/s and 200 Mb/s and latency as low as 20ms in most locations.” That’s an improvement from when the old site told users to “expect to see data speeds vary from 50Mb/s to 150Mb/s and latency from 20ms to 40ms in most locations” during the beta phase.
The new site adds: “Using advanced satellites in a low orbit, Starlink enables video calls, online gaming, streaming, and other high data rate activities that historically have not been possible with satellite internet.”
The new Starlink FAQ also includes some other interesting details about the service. For example, it jokingly notes: “Starlink is not designed to handle hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, meteors, dinosaurs, or other extreme forces of nature.”
If you live in an exceptional hot or chilly area, the FAQ says: “Starlink is rated to operate outdoors between -30 to +50 degrees Celsius, or -22 to +122 degrees Fahrenheit, and the Wi-Fi router and power supply are also rated to operate indoors between 0 to +30 degrees Celsius, or +32 to +86 degrees Fahrenheit. During moments of extreme heat or cold, Starlink may experience slightly reduced performance.”
If you’re a new customer interested in Starlink, brace for a long wait. Earlier this week, the Starlink website also began pushing back wait times in more areas to “late 2022, early 2023.”
