Google on Thursday announced a deal to provide cloud services to SpaceX. Under the deal, SpaceX will install Starlink ground stations at Google data centers, and Google Cloud will provide networking and computing support for the internet service.
New Partnership
In a press release, Google said, “Under this partnership, SpaceX will begin to locate Starlink ground stations within Google data centre properties, enabling the secure, low-latency, and reliable delivery of data from more than 1,500 Starlink satellites launched to orbit to date to locations at the network edge via Google Cloud.”
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It’s also an unusual type of deal for Google — or any other cloud provider — as it relies heavily on Google’s internal network that connects data centers, rather than simply outsourcing functions like computing power or data storage to these data centers and will provide lots of interesting aspects for both companies.
“Combining Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency broadband with Google’s infrastructure and capabilities provides global organizations with the secure and fast connection that modern organizations expect,” said SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell. “We are proud to work with Google to deliver this access to businesses, public sector organizations, and many other groups operating around the world.”
Starlink’s service might be valuable for consumers living in places with limited internet access, as well as businesses and government organizations running projects in remote areas, Kurian said. He anticipates that having Starlink draw on Google’s cloud network will lead organizations to deploy applications inside Google’s cloud to take advantage of high speeds.
SpaceX recently announced that it has received over 5 lakh orders for its satellite internet service. In October 2020, SpaceX started a beta program for its service that is priced at $99 per month. Interested users will also have to pay $499 for Starlink Kit, which has a user terminal and a Wi-Fi router that is used to connect to the satellites.
