Starlink’s scope and ambition are reaching ever further. A good example of this is the existence of a factory that is already producing more than 4 million antennas a year to provide all interested parties with satellite Internet. The company’s plans are increasingly ambitious and aim very high.
A small Texas town called Bastrop is where Elon Musk’s company has its main muscle in the production of the Starlink equipment that it sells worldwide. This city, which has a population of just over 7,000 inhabitants, has become one of the cornerstones of the success of the most popular satellite Internet initiative on the market.
It has grown twice as much
Brastop is already a name that has great importance in Elon Musk’s current professional life. It is also the location of the headquarters of his company The Boring Company, specialized in infrastructure and excavation, with which the millionaire is carrying out various projects. The opening of his Starlink factory, however, took place in July 2023, and is located right next to the other aforementioned company of the executive. Apparently, he would be using the land that he originally bought in 2021 in what is already clear that it was an operation that was very advantageous for him.
However, even though the Bastrop factory is new, that hasn’t stopped Musk from turning it into his largest facility for the production of his Starlink devices and antennas. It is said that it has doubled its size and facilities, which would explain why it already has the capacity to produce 4.68 million Starlink terminals per year. The figure is huge and puts the factory at the head of the many facilities that Starlink has for the production of its equipment.
A change of strategy
At 4.68 million antennas per year, Starlink means it is getting an average of 90,000 antennas every week from the Bastrop factory alone. The number is so high that it raises suspicions that the company may be considering some kind of restructuring in the way it makes its satellite internet equipment. Musk has previously mentioned that they intend to close their California factory, which is also believed to be making a large number of the devices.
In addition to this, the company has other factories in different locations in the United States, and it is not clear whether Starlink’s plans include continuing to manufacture equipment in these places. The company will most likely clarify this in the coming months and confirm whether the plan is to let Bastrop become the main reference for the production of its equipment.
Starlink may have other concerns at the moment, as the Federal Communications Commission recently asked it to provide more specific information about its plans for satellite internet in direct-to-mobile calls. Initially, it seems that the organization is waiting for a detailed response with all the information that should be in its hands before September 16. It would not be surprising if Elon Musk’s organization makes them wait until the last minute in view of everything they have to share and explain.
In any case, it can be seen that Starlink’s long-term plan is very ambitious, something that is helped by the fact that it has more and more customers around the world. For Musk, his overall goal is to reach the point where we are all connected and can use its satellites, especially if an emergency arises. It does not seem that he is going in the wrong direction.
