The "backbone" of Starlink satellite internet

A Starlink satellite Internet ground station (Photo: SpaceX).

Notably, the location of Starlink's ground station is very important. Even if a country uses Starlink satellite internet service, it is not certain that it will have a ground station.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade said that on May 20, Minister of Industry and Trade, Head of the Government Negotiation Delegation Nguyen Hong Dien met and worked with leaders of leading US corporations in the fields of energy, aerospace, technology and artificial intelligence, including a meeting with billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX Corporation led by Vice President Tim Hughes.

At the meeting, SpaceX representatives said they would invest about 1.5 billion USD to provide broadband Internet connection in Vietnam. The first phase will build 10-15 ground stations.

Starlink ground stations, also known as gateways, are ground-based relay stations that communicate with Starlink satellites orbiting Earth. These stations are essential for transmitting data between satellites and the Internet on the ground.

Essentially, they act as intermediaries, receiving data from satellites and routing it to the appropriate Internet networks, and vice versa.

The functions of a ground station include:

• Data relay: Ground stations receive data from satellites and forward it to the main Internet network.
• Command and control: Send commands to satellites, ensuring correct operation and alignment.
• Network Management: Helps manage network traffic, ensuring smooth and efficient data flow.

Ground stations use large phased array antennas to communicate with multiple satellites at once. These antennas can steer the electron beam, allowing them to track fast-moving satellites without physically moving the antenna.

SpaceX currently operates about 150 ground stations around the world , which play a key role in linking Starlink satellites to internet data centers on the ground.

These data centers connect to existing fiber optic infrastructure and send data to Starlink satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

As can be seen, Starlink ground stations are an important component of the satellite Internet network, ensuring seamless and efficient communication between satellites and the Internet backbone.

These ground stations are installed and maintained to the highest standards, ensuring they can meet the needs of the rapidly growing Starlink network.

The fact that Vietnam was chosen by SpaceX to host a satellite Internet ground station shows the country's important strategic position, helping SpaceX set the goal of global satellite Internet coverage.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/cong-nghe/xuong-song-cua-internet-ve-tinh-starlink-20250522111427029.htm