United News of Bangladesh

Apple released a significant security update for iPhones and iPads Thursday to patch newly discovered security vulnerabilities in the devices' system software. The issue was discovered by researchers at the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab, who said the software flaw was being "actively exploited" to deliver commercial spyware called Pegasus developed and sold by the Israeli company NSO Group. Pegasus is an expensive tool typically used to target dissidents, journalists and political opponents, so ordinary users likely have little to fear. Still, Citizen Lab recommends that all users should "immediately" update their devices. To install the update, open Settings on your iPhone, then select "General" followed by "Software Update." You should see the iOS 16.6.1 software update there; tap to begin the installation. If you don't see the update, go back to the General page, then tap "About" to check your iOS version number. If it's 16.6.1, you already have the update installed. If your phone is still using 16.6 or an earlier version, repeat the above steps. If you still don't see an update, try restarting your phone. If that doesn't make the update appear, double-check your internet connection and then wait a bit before trying again.

Fair Technology Limited has launched “Hyundai Exchange Program” where customers can exchange their old cars for new ones. “This program has brought great opportunity to upgrade your car and your standard of life as well. We believe, car enthusiast Bangladeshi people would love to embrace latest innovations and uniqueness of Hyundai brand new cars by exchanging their used old cars of any brand,” said Fair Technology CEO Mutassim Daiaan after declaring commencement of the program at a press meet in Dhaka’s Tejgaon on Thursday. Read: OPPO A78 Review: Is it worth buying? Fair Group Head of Communications Hasnain Khurshed deliverd gave the welcome speech at the event. Fair Group Head of Marketing JM Taslim Kabir presided over the press meet. “Fair Technology will organize Hyundai Exchange Fair at the Banani Bidya Niketan School and College Ground on September 15 and 16 to take exchange facilities closer to the buyers. Two more Hyundai Exchange Fairs will be organized in different areas of Dhaka by the end of November,” said Mutassim. “Hyundai Exchange Program will make buying a brand new Hyundai cars more affordable which are much friendly to the climate and environment. We all know, used cars are causing air-pollution and harming public health in our densely populated capital city. To reduce carbon emission level, it has become obvious to send used cars out of Dhaka gradually,” he added. Read: September 2023 New Smartphone Release: Top 10 Most Anticipated Phones in Bangladesh Fair Technology has brought together all stakeholders under one platform as joint promotion Hyundai Exchange Program for the first time, said the release. Air Astra, Secret recipe and Rtv are as partner of the Hyundai Exchange Program. Hyundai enlisted auto-finance partners MTB, EBL, Brac Bank Limited, UCBL, Dhaka Bank Limited, IPDC, Strategic Finance and Investments Limited will provide loan facilities to the customers within three working days, the release also said. Hyundai car buyers registered with this program will get the best price for their used / pre-owned vehicles along with offers on the brand-new Hyundai cars. The entire process will be through Hyundai Exchange app. Customers in Dhaka, Chattogram and Bogura. Customers from any part of Bangladesh can participate in this exchange program through this app. Read: Walton Xanon X20 Review: Is it a value-for-money gaming phone? Hyundai | Fair Technology along with partners of the program will give various offers. Following the terms and conditions, Customers will get the offer from Tk 60,000 to Tk 200,000 offers on September 15 and 16 and on November 30.

OPPO is one of the significant leaders when it comes to stylish smartphones. Though the brand started its journey as “camera phones” with a core focus on photography, recently OPPO smartphones offer a bunch of latest features. The ‘A’ series of OPPO brings entry-level to mid-range smartphones. OPPO’s latest device A78 is now officially available in the country. Let’s take a look at the Key specs, pros, cons and price of OPPO A78 in Bangladesh.  Key Specifications of OPPO A78  Design and Build Quality  The A78 brings a generic tried and tested design without many bells or whistles. The design is an overhaul from the last gen A77 but it is nothing completely new. It’s an all-plastic device with a glass front and refractive back finish. The dual camera system is neatly tucked into a vertical alignment on the back. It might give the impression that the device boasts very large sensors, but it's just clever positioning, nothing else.  The device comes in at 160 by 73.2 by 7.9 mm with 180 gm weight. The low weight and even component distribution provide good comfort while holding the device for a long time. There is a large chin at the bottom of the display. The sizable bezel in the front brings the device to an 85.2% screen-to-body ratio. However, one positive design choice is that the water drop notch has been replaced with a corner punch-hole display.  Read more: Honor 90 Review: A New Standard in Midrange Aesthetics Moving to ports and buttons, users would be happy to note that the 3.5 mm headphone jack is still present on the device. There’s a dual nano sim slot along with dedicated micro SDXC support. Another thing that stood out was the dual stereo speaker on the device. Typically devices in this price range usually go for the mono stereo so seeing dual stereo support was certainly a pleasant surprise. OPPO has also included an in-display fingerprint scanner for an added layer of security.  Overall, the A78 brings a bit of everything to create a perfect day-to-day utility phone. There’s even an IP54 rating which will bring certain peace of mind for the users.   The Display  The display on the OPPO A78 is an AMOLED panel with a 90 Hz refresh rate. The display is a point of contention with many budget-friendly smartphones as they often cut prices by going with an IPS LCD panel. But that’s not the case with the A78.  Read more: Benco S1 Pro Review: Elegance within Budget The 6.43-inches display packs in an FHD+ resolution with 1080 x 2400 pixels. That brings the total pixel count to 409 ppi in a 20:9 aspect ratio. The higher density combined with crisp sharpness makes it one of the top displays in its price category.   Outdoor visibility might be an issue for most users as the HBM maxes out at 430 nits. It's one of the only cut corners that catches the attention. Other than that, the smooth animations and better touch sampling make it an excellent panel to interact with. And not to mention the Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection which does a great job of deterring minor scratches.  The camera There’s a dual camera setup on the A78 with the primary sensor being a 50 MP wide-angle shooter and the secondary one being a 2 MP depth sensor. The main camera with HDR, LED flash and the PDAF does what it can in its limited capability.  Read more: Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra Review: Is it really the ‘iPad killer’?

Tecno smartphones will now be available at Gadget and Gear (G7G) outlets. Tecno and G&G signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) recently to offer customers top-tier smartphones with exclusive benefits, according to a press release on Tuesday. The MoU was formalized at the headquarters of Ismartu Technology BD Limited. Rezwanul Hoque, CEO of Ismartu Technology BD Limited and Nure Alam Shimu, CEO of G&G, exchanged the signed documents on behalf of their respective organizations. “As a result of this collaboration, Tecno's impressive range of smartphones will now be conveniently available at all G&G outlets across the nation. This development holds immense promise for customers, who will now have unparalleled access to cutting-edge mobile technology backed by Tecno's legacy of innovation and quality,” said the release. One of the highlights of this partnership is the array of benefits that customers can enjoy. When purchasing a Tecno smartphone from G&G, customers will have the opportunity to avail up to 12-month 0% EMI facility or G&G exclusive gift, added the release.

vivo’s sub-brand iQOO mainly works on the “flagship killer” category smartphones assuring value and performance for the users. The vivo iQOO Neo 8 Pro was released on 23rd May in China. So how does it differ from the Neo 7 Pro? And is it going to seal the title of flagship killer for 2023? Let’s find out.  Key Specifications of the vivo iQOO Neo 8 Pro   Design and Build Quality  The first thing that stands out is the design and build quality of the smartphone. There are three color variants on the 8 Pro, red, black, and mint. The red one uses a deep orange shade of vegetable tan leather on the back which provides a great texture and hand feel. The rectangular camera housing on the red variant has a distinct carbon fiber-like texture. The contrasting design elements on the back give the device a unique look.  Dimension-wise, the device comes in at 164.7 x 77 x 8.5 mm. The device is on the lighter side at just 192 gm. The even weight distribution makes it easy to hold for a long time without hand fatigue. The frame of the device is made from plastic with a glass front and leather (red) or glass back. There’s no protection rating for the front glass which can be an issue for many users.   Read more: Walton Xanon X20 Review: Is it a value-for-money gaming phone? The device comes with the standard ports and buttons. Additionally, there’s an IR blaster on top so if you have IoT devices in your home, the phone can serve as a secondary remote. The Type C port and the sim-slot are placed at the bottom. Unfortunately, there’s no micro SDXC support on the 8 Pro. But the 256 GB base variant should be more than ample for most users.  Overall, the 8 Pro is reiterative of the iQOO design elements. It doesn’t reinvent itself much which may very well be its strongest suit in terms of design elements.  Display  The display on the iQOO Neo 8 Pro is a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with 1260 x 2800 resolution. The unusual resolution brings the display to around 453 ppi with a 20:9 aspect ratio. In addition to that, the display supports 1B colors, 144Hz high refresh rate, HDR10, and 1300 nits of peak brightness.  Read more: Benco S1 Pro Review: Elegance within Budget The high refresh rate combined with the 1.5K resolution makes it a crystal clear sharp display. The chins and perimeter bezels have also been significantly reduced to make way for an 87.5% screen-to-body ratio.  In typical use, the display is perfect for media consumption. The HBM helps with outdoor visibility with reduced glare and sharp contrast. The high refresh rate and touch sampling also elevate the gaming experience on the 8 Pro.  Overall, the display is one of the strong elements of the device. It easily takes one up over the 7 Pro with better resolution and a higher refresh rate.  Read more: Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra Review: Is it really the ‘iPad killer’?

The government will set up two Digital Economy hubs for the ICT industry to create conducive environment for digital economy by providing policy support, implementing upskilling and reskilling initiatives and coordinating on digital technologies.  The digital economy hub will be set up on the premises of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) and Bangladesh Association of Contact Center and Outsourcing (BACCO) would also develop a comprehensive institutional framework and system for the digital economy ecosystem that would benefit all businesses. Read: Chattogram to be built as IT business hub: Palak Two separate Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) were signed  on Wednesday in this regard between the World Bank financed Enhancing Digital Government Economy (EDGE) Project of BCC and BASIS, along with BACCO at the auditorium of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC). EDGE Project Director Nahid Sultana Mallik, BASIS President Russel T. Ahmed and BACCO President Wahid Sharif inked the MoUs on behalf of their respective sides in the presence of State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak and World Bank Regional Project Director Pankaj Gupta. The MoU signing  was followed by a seminar on ‘`Effective Partnership Among Industry, Academia, and Government for Smart Bangladesh’, which was addressed, among others by, BASIS President Russel T. Ahmed, BACCO President Wahid Sharif, EDGE Policy Adviser Abdul Bari. State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak unveiled the cover of the newsletter titled: `Tech Insight,’ published by EDGE Project and edited by its Communication Specialist Ajit Kumar Sarkar at the function. Read: Skoot-Walton to work on production of high-tech e-bikes Some 120 appointment letters were also handed over to those who were hired by different companies under the Hire and Train programme of the EDGE project,  After the agreement was signed, Zunaid Ahmed Palak revealed the significant progress in the past decade towards achieving a Digital Bangladesh and highlighted the robust growth of the country’s digital economy. After the successful implementation of Digital Bangladesh, the government has been implementing various programmes in line with the 'Smart Bangladesh' vision as announced by visionary leader Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Palak said. He also said the main objective of the government is to introduce Bangladesh as an intelligent and innovative nation by 2041. The ICT state minister said the government is going to establish 10 Research and Innovation Centers (RICs) in 10 public and private universities. The frontier tech-based research and innovations of these RICs will help create entrepreneurs which would create huge employment in the country, he added. Read: IT Competition for Youths with Disabilities ends Palak said the government designed the EDGE project aiming to create frontier technology-based human resources to cope with the fourth industrial revolution. One lakh graduates will be provided with training on frontier technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, big data, blockchain, 3D, he said. Commending the active participation of the private sector in the implementation of Digital Bangladesh, Pankaj Gupta emphasized that fostering a strong partnership among industry, academia and government is very crucial to nurture a thriving digital economy. As per the agreement, the involved parties will foster collaboration to develop a comprehensive system and institutional framework for the digital economy ecosystem. This framework is poised to bring about substantial advantages for a wide spectrum of entities, including enterprises, startups, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), both in rural and urban domains, the agreement said. It said (agreement) EDGE project will work closely with BASIS and BACCO to select its member companies to participate in many of the capacity development programs, and develop strategy, policy, research & innovation, and intellectual property for the software/IT sector. Read: 24 students receive ‘Huawei BUET ICT Academy’ certification They will also develop content and building capacity of relevant DE stakeholders on 4IR, relevant for software, IT/ ITES segment of the digital economy (DE) and develop and manage partnerships with various local and international organizations for knowledge and resource sharing on 4IR, the agreement mentioned.

State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak on Sunday said that Chattogram, the port city and the country’s commercial capital, will be developed as an IT business hub. “If the remaining two projects of the ongoing four projects in Chattogram are completed, the port city and the country’s commercial capital will become an IT business hub,” he said while addressing a function at Shilpakala Academy in Chattogram. Read: US envoy meets Palak The state minister laid the foundation stone of ‘Knowledge Park’ at Chandgaon in the port city. Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Kumar Verma was present as the guest of honour, said a press release of Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority. Addressing the function, Palak said IT business incubators are being set up in the country’s universities to acquire skills on high technology such as IoT, robotics and cyber security in the wake of the competition of the fourth industrial revolution. Read: Bangladesh to be introduced as smart nation by 2041: Palak As part of this, the country's first university-based full-fledged IT business incubator has been set up at CUET. Within just one year after its inauguration, spaces were allotted for several IT organizations and startups there, he said. On the other hand, the commercial activities are going on in full swing at Bir Muktijoddha Lt. Sheikh Jamal Software Technology Park, which was built through the upward expansion of Singapore-Bangkok market, he said. Besides, the construction of Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Center, which is located next to this Knowledge Park in Chandgaon is going to be completed, he added. Read: Technical errors, non-compliance with CERT instructions behind data leakage from govt website: Palak Pranay Kumar Verma expressed firm conviction to work on increasing the partnership between India and Bangladesh in the ICT and other sectors. He said Bangladesh and India are working jointly in the ICT sector, particularly for investments in hi-tech parks in Bangladesh. The High Commissioner commented that India will expand its cooperation in Bangladesh further in near future. Local MP Noman Al Mahmud (elected from Chattogram-8), Managing Director of Hi-Tech Park Authority GSM Jafarullah and Project Director of ‘Knowledge Park’ Project AKAM Fazlul Haque also spoke on the occasion. Read: Bangladesh to become 4th country in the world to join G-Cloud: Palak GSM Jafarullah in his welcome speech said the works now continue to set up 92 hi-tech parks/software technology parks/IT training and incubation centres across the country through Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority. Of them, works of 11 parks have already completed and the commercial activities started there. Besides, 17 more parks have been set up under private initiative, he said. Fazlul Haque said the Knowledge Park is being set up on 9.551 acres of land at the cost of Tk 175 core. Some 1000 jobs will be created in the park. Also, 3,000 people would be trained every year under the project, he said.

Google, Facebook, TikTok and other Big Tech companies operating in Europe must comply with one of the most far-reaching efforts to clean up what people see online. The European Union's groundbreaking new digital rules took effect Friday for the biggest platforms. The Digital Services Act is part of a suite of tech-focused regulations crafted by the 27-nation bloc — long a global leader in cracking down on tech giants. Also read : Technology should be smart, people-friendly, cost-effective: Speakers The DSA is designed to keep users safe online and stop the spread of harmful content that's either illegal or violates a platform's terms of service, such as promotion of genocide or anorexia. It also looks to protect Europeans' fundamental rights like privacy and free speech. Some online platforms, which could face billions in fines if they don't comply, already have made changes. Also read : Scientific Advisory Board for Independent Advice on Breakthroughs in Science and Technology Here's a look at what has changed: WHICH PLATFORMS ARE AFFECTED? So far, 19. They include eight social media platforms: Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Snapchat. There are five online marketplaces: Amazon, Booking.com, China's Alibaba AliExpress and Germany's Zalando. Mobile app stores Google Play and Apple's App Store are subject, as are Google's Search and Microsoft's Bing search engine. Also read : Walton to hold first-ever mega 'International Advanced Components and Technology Expo' in August Google Maps and Wikipedia round out the list. WHAT ABOUT OTHER ONLINE COMPANIES? The EU's list is based on numbers submitted by the platforms. Those with 45 million or more users — or 10% of the EU's population — face the DSA's highest level of regulation. Brussels insiders, however, have pointed to some notable omissions, like eBay, Airbnb, Netflix and even PornHub. The list isn't definitive, and it's possible other platforms may be added later on. Any business providing digital services to Europeans will eventually have to comply with the DSA. They will face fewer obligations than the biggest platforms, however, and have another six months before they must fall in line. WHAT'S CHANGING? Platforms have rolled out new ways for European users to flag illegal online content and dodgy products, which companies will be obligated to take down quickly and objectively. The DSA "will have a significant impact on the experiences Europeans have when they open their phones or fire up their laptops," Nick Clegg, Meta's president for global affairs, said in a blog post. Facebook and Instagram's existing tools to report content will be easier to access. Amazon opened a new channel for reporting suspect goods. TikTok gave users an extra option for flagging videos, such as for hate speech and harassment, or frauds and scams, which will be reviewed by an additional team of experts, according to the app from Chinese parent company ByteDance. Google is offering more "visibility" into content moderation decisions and different ways for users to contact the company. It didn't offer specifics. Under the DSA, Google and other platforms have to provide more information behind why posts are taken down. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat also are giving people the option to turn off automated systems that recommend videos and posts based on their profiles. Such systems have been blamed for leading social media users to increasingly extreme posts. The DSA also prohibits targeting vulnerable categories of people, including children, with ads. Platforms like Snapchat and TikTok will stop allowing teen users to be targeted by ads based on their online activities. Google will provide more information about targeted ads shown to people in the EU and give researchers more access to data on how its products work. IS THERE PUSHBACK? Zalando, a German online fashion retailer, has filed a legal challenge over its inclusion on the DSA's list of the largest online platforms, arguing that it's being treated unfairly. Nevertheless, Zalando is launching content flagging systems for its website even though there's little risk of illegal material showing up among its highly curated collection of clothes, bags and shoes. The company has supported the DSA, said Aurelie Caulier, Zalando's head of public affairs for the EU. "It will bring loads of positive changes" for consumers, she said. But "generally, Zalando doesn't have systemic risk (that other platforms pose). So that's why we don't think we fit in that category." Amazon has filed a similar case with a top EU court. WHAT IF COMPANIES DON'T FOLLOW THE RULES? Officials have warned tech companies that violations could bring fines worth up to 6% of their global revenue — which could amount to billions — or even a ban from the EU. "The real test begins now," said European Commissioner Thierry Breton, who oversees digital policy. He vowed to "thoroughly enforce the DSA and fully use our new powers to investigate and sanction platforms where warranted." But don't expect penalties to come right away for individual breaches, such as failing to take down a specific video promoting hate speech. Instead, the DSA is more about whether tech companies have the right processes in place to reduce the harm that their algorithm-based recommendation systems can inflict on users. Essentially, they'll have to let the European Commission, the EU's executive arm and top digital enforcer, look under the hood to see how their algorithms work. EU officials "are concerned with user behavior on the one hand, like bullying and spreading illegal content, but they're also concerned about the way that platforms work and how they contribute to the negative effects," said Sally Broughton Micova, an associate professor at the University of East Anglia. That includes looking at how the platforms work with digital advertising systems, which could be used to profile users for harmful material like disinformation, or how their livestreaming systems function, which could be used to instantly spread terrorist content, said Broughton Micova, who's also academic co-director at the Centre on Regulation in Europe, a Brussels-based think tank. Big platforms have to identify and assess potential systemic risks and whether they're doing enough to reduce them. These assessments are due by the end of August and then they will be independently audited. The audits are expected to be the main tool to verify compliance — though the EU's plan has faced criticism for lacking details that leave it unclear how the process will work. WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE WORLD? Europe's changes could have global impact. Wikipedia is tweaking some policies and modifying its terms of use to provide more information on "problematic users and content." Those alterations won't be limited to Europe and "will be implemented globally," said the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation, which hosts the community-powered encyclopedia. "The rules and processes that govern Wikimedia projects worldwide, including any changes in response to the DSA, are as universal as possible," it said in a statement. Snapchat said its new reporting and appeal process for flagging illegal content or accounts that break its rules will be rolled out first in the EU and then globally in the coming months. It's going to be hard for tech companies to limit DSA-related changes, said Broughton Micova, adding that digital ad networks aren't isolated to Europe and that social media influencers can have global reach. The regulations are "dealing with multichannel networks that operate globally. So there is going to be a ripple effect once you have kind of mitigations that get taken into place," she said.

Elon Musk says he may need to get surgery before a proposed “cage match” with Mark Zuckerberg. The two tech billionaires seemingly agreed to an in-person face-off in late June. It's unclear if a physical fight will actually end up happening, but Musk and Zuckerberg have continued to fuel interest in the potential match through online jabs at one another — most recently on Sunday, when Musk said the fight would be live-streamed on his social media site X, formerly known as Twitter. Musk added that the fight's proceeds would go to a charity for veterans. On his Threads social media account, Zuckerberg responded: “Shouldn’t we use a more reliable platform that can actually raise money for charity?" In a follow-up post, the CEO of Facebook’s parent company Meta said he wasn't “holding his breath” for a fight. READ: StarLink: What's special about Elon Musk's SpaceX satellite internet service? “I’m ready today. I suggested Aug 26 when he first challenged, but he hasn’t confirmed," wrote Zuckerberg, who is actually trained in mixed martial arts and posted about completing his first jiu jitsu tournament earlier this year. "I love this sport and will continue competing with people who train no matter what happens here.” Earlier Sunday, Musk said was training for the fight by lifting weights. He later addressed the timing of the fight — noting the date “is still in flux" due to a scheduled MRI and the potential of surgery. READ: Zuckerberg looks shredded in photo with MMA fighters "I’m getting an MRI of my neck & upper back tomorrow," Musk wrote Sunday night. "May require surgery before the fight can happen. Will know this week." Talk of an in-person fight all started in June, when Musk, who owns X, responded to a tweet about Meta preparing to release a new Twitter rival called Threads. He took a dig about the world becoming “exclusively under Zuck’s thumb with no other options” — but then one Twitter user jokingly warned Musk of Zuckerberg’s jiu jitsu training. “I’m up for a cage match if he is lol,” Musk wrote. After Zuckerberg appeared to agree to the proposal, Musk proposed the Vegas Octagon. READ: Elon Musk imposes daily limits on reading posts on Twitter Whether or not Musk and Zuckerberg actually make it to the Las Vegas ring has yet to be seen — especially as Musk often tweets about action prematurely or without following through. But, even if their cage match agreement is all a joke, the banter gained attention. An endless chain of memes and posts to “choose your fighter” sprung up in response. The Associated Press reached out to Meta, X and Ultimate Fighting Championship, which owns the Octagon, for statements Monday morning.

In today’s interconnected world, access to reliable and high-speed internet has become an essential aspect of modern life. The internet serves as the backbone of communication, information sharing, education, business, and countless other activities that shape our daily routines. However, despite the significant advancements in internet technology over the past few decades, a considerable part of the global population remains underserved or even entirely disconnected from the digital world. This digital divide is particularly evident in rural and remote areas, where traditional internet infrastructure is often impractical or prohibitively expensive to deploy. To address this pressing issue and fulfill the growing necessity for internet services worldwide, innovative solutions have emerged. One of the most ambitious and groundbreaking ventures is Starlink, a satellite internet constellation project spearheaded by SpaceX, the private space exploration company founded by Elon Musk. What is StarLink? Starlink is a project created by SpaceX, a private company led by Elon Musk. They're putting a bunch of satellites up in space to make the internet work better for everyone. These satellites form a "constellation" and help bring the internet to even the remotest places on earth. Officially launched in 2019, the primary goal of Starlink is to provide global internet coverage by deploying a large number of small satellites into low earth orbit (LEO). Read more: How AI Can Improve Education Everything we know about Elon Musk’s Starlink Satellites and Future Internet Plans As of May 2023, Starlink’s operational network encompasses more than 4,000 mass-produced, compact satellites positioned in LEO. These satellites maintain communication with specific ground transceivers. The ambitious project aims to deploy a total of nearly 12,000 satellites, with potential future expansion of up to 42,000 satellites. Notably, SpaceX celebrated reaching a significant milestone by acquiring over 1 million subscribers in December 2022, and within just a few months, that number surged to 1.5 million subscribers as of May 2023. The Starlink Constellation: Size and Ambition The Starlink constellation consists of thousands of satellites orbiting at altitudes between 340 km (210 miles) and 1,200 km (750 miles) above earth’s surface. These satellites work in a cycle to create a network that beams high-speed internet signals down to earth, making it accessible to users with compatible receiving terminals, commonly referred to as user terminals or satellite dishes. Starlink’s internet is different from regular internet because it doesn’t use towers and cables on the ground. Instead, it has satellites that fly much closer to the earth. This closeness makes the internet faster because data doesn’t have to travel as far. It’s like having a shorter distance for messages to go back and forth between you and the satellite. This is really helpful in places that are far away from cities or places where getting good internet is hard. So, Starlink can provide better internet performance, especially in those remote and underserved areas. Read more: Top 10 Humanoid AI Robots in 2023 So Far Beta Testing and Expansion Starlink has conducted multiple phases of beta testing, known as the “Better Than Nothing Beta” program, where users in select regions were invited to test the service and provide feedback. During the beta phase, the system underwent improvements and optimizations based on user experiences. As the beta testing progresses, SpaceX has gradually expanded the coverage area, reaching more users in different parts of the world. The company has been seeking regulatory approvals from various countries to operate its satellite internet service globally. User Terminals (Satellite Dishes) To access the Starlink internet service, users receive a phased-array satellite dish, commonly known as a user terminal or satellite dish. These user terminals are designed to automatically track and connect to passing satellites overhead, making it easy for users to set up and use the service.