Elon Mousk's Starlink, how will Kosovo see hairi

Internet over and over again, in every corner of the territory, even in extraordinary situations.

These are just some goods that benefit Kosovo from extending the services of the American giant Starlink on its territory.

Placing Kosovo on the Starlink map, one of the most innovative companies in the world, is also seen as a good promotion for the country.

The Electronic and Post Communications Regulatory Authority (ARKEP) in Kosovo has confirmed to Radio Free Europe that the satellite services of this company will be functional in December this year.

Kosovo only boasts of internet coverage at the regional level. According to Kosovo Statistics Agency data, 98.6 percent of the family economies had access to the Internet in 2023.

Current operators in Kosovo provide cable internet, including the fiber optic internet, which is among the most stable and fast.

Starlink satellites

Starlink is a company that offers satellite internet in over 100 countries and territories and is owned by the American space company SpaceX, the billionaire Elon Musk.

Starlink has about 6,000 satellites, which are about 500 kilometers above Earth, in the lower orbit of the planet.

This means that they are about 65 times closer to Earth than traditional fixed satellites and, unlike the latter, the Starlink satellites are constantly on the move and ensure that the delays in communication are 10 times smaller.

ARKEP board member Rzazarta Duraku Rizaj has said that permission to operate for Starlink is an important step for advancing digital infrastructure in Kosovo.

Starlink's “Authorization has largely impact on increasing national security, especially in conflict periods. This, for the fact that the vast majority of Starlink's infrastructure lies in space and is immune to possible war damage or natural disasters on Earth. A Starlink terminal has at the same time images on some satellites in space, with more of the availability of service”, Duraku Rizaj said.

She believes this priority can be used by businesses and government institutions, especially those of security, which manage critical infrastructure.

Entrepreneur Darsey Rizaj, cofounder of the Digital School and Starlabs Company, has said he will use this service both privately and business once it is accessible.

“Internet is a critical tool for us, so Starlink will only be an additional aid, so that we never have a shutdown on internet services”.

How will it work?

Ordering services will be available on the Starlink page, requesting the closest address.

After the order, the Starlink will send the receiver device to the client, which connects to satellites in space.

Genarta Duraku Rizaj has said that the user recipient is small, portable and can be used in different locations, such as in the mountains, in difficult terrain, and other countries where there is no good internet access.

What will be the price and speed of the Internet?

Determination of prices will be made depending on the local purchasing power of each state.

“Tarifem consists of two components: purchase of the hardware initially, terminal with devices that are bought once, and a monthly fee that will depend on service plans available on the” website, He showed Duraku-Rizaj.

She has said the costs will be made public before the December launch, and for comparison has mentioned prices in Albania, where the Starlink was extended this year's April. There, buying equipment initially costs around 500 euros, while the cheaper monthly plan is around 65 euros.

The internet speed Starlink offers is between 120 and 250 megabits per second (backs), depending on whether it comes to individual plans or businesses, REL reports.

Operators in Kosovo, currently, enable faster internet. Family economies are offered the internet to up to 500 mps under package combined with television services, at prices of up to 35 euros.

For businesses, there are offers for internet by up to 1 gigabi per second, at monthly prices of up to 1,100 euros.

Darsey Rizaj acknowledges that in terms of speed, Starlink does not compete with local operators, but is a good reserve plan, in case of landline failure.