As Starlink continues to launch more satellites to fill out its satellite constellation, another company is hoping to stay a step ahead. Starlink has proven it has the potential to take a large bite out of the satellite internet market if they are able to complete the massive project. Viasat is hoping to offer a better solution with a plan to launch three brand new next generation satellites dubbed Viasat 3.

The race is on to deliver highspeed internet access all over the world

Viasat 3 will dramatically improve Viasat’s existing network by adding three new satellites that each have a capacity of 1TB per second and have a coverage area that spans nearly a third of the globe. In fact, the three satellites will have overlapping ranges that will create a continuous band of coverage all the way around the world.

Starlink also plans to offer service all over the globe but needs around 42,000 satellites in orbit to accomplish it. Starlink has opted to put its satellites in low-earth orbit rather than the more common geo-stationary orbit. The benefit of low-earth orbit is that it offers a latency comparable to ground based internet solutions. The downside is that the range of each satellite is drastically reduced. Starlink has ambitious goals for getting the satellites launched, but it’s hard to see them launching that many satellites very quickly.

Viasat 3 coming in 2022

Viasat only needs to launch 3 satellites to complete Viasat 3, and the first launch is planned for early 2022. The first satellite will cover North and South America and should give a clearer picture of how performance will be impacted when all three come online. Starlink continues to launch satellites quickly, but with around 1800 out of about 42,000, it doesn’t seem possible they could beat Viasat to the punch.