Members of the Hoh Tribe in Washington State recently gained access to Starlink's high-speed internet. Their reaction? Pure delight.
SpaceX has been launching Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit for months, aiming to deliver broadband internet worldwide. To date, more than 700 satellites are in orbit out of the 12,000 planned. The project sparks debate.
Astronomers worry about the growing satellite population—currently around 2,500 operational satellites encircling Earth. Adding thousands more raises collision risks and could disrupt night sky observations.
Experts have voiced concerns, as imaging faint celestial objects often requires hours-long exposures. Satellite trails may interfere with telescopes scanning wide sky areas in visible and infrared light.
Yet not everyone shares these fears. The Hoh Tribe, a Native American community in the Pacific Northwest, particularly in Washington State, has embraced Starlink.
Elon Musk noted that 500-800 satellites would enable initial service rollout—a milestone now reached. SpaceX teams have been testing terminals for latency and speeds.
Beyond employees, select northern U.S. residents, including the Hoh Tribe via the Washington State Department of Commerce, joined the beta.
“The Hoh Tribe reached out at the pandemic's start, struggling to connect reliably,” says Russ Elliott, Director of the Washington State Broadband Office. “Limited access left them anxious about the future.”
When the beta launched, “we connected Starlink with the Hoh Tribe,” Elliott adds. Their story spread, leading to beta access—and overwhelming enthusiasm.
Vice Chairman Melvinjohn Ashue shared in a video: “We’re remote. For years, internet felt like paddling with a spoon—going nowhere. Then SpaceX arrived and catapulted us into the 21st century.”
Youth now access online education easily, and “telemedicine is no longer an issue,” Ashue notes.
While concerns persist, Starlink fulfills Musk's goal: connecting the world's most isolated regions. The Hoh Tribe exemplifies its impact.
SpaceX targets 40 million Starlink subscribers by 2025, potentially generating 30 billion dollars annually—fuel for ambitious projects like Mars exploration.
