The alliance aims to expand the reach of Google Cloud customers to their data, services and applications without the need for nearby cell towers.
Google Cloud and SpaceX have announced a new partnership to deliver data, cloud services, and applications to customers at the network edge, leveraging Starlink’s ability to provide high-speed broadband internet around the world and Google Cloud’s infrastructure.
Under this partnership, SpaceX will begin to locate Starlink ground stations within Google data centre properties, enabling the secure, low-latency, and reliable delivery of data from more than 1,500 Starlink satellites launched to orbit to-date to locations at the network edge via Google Cloud. Google Cloud’s high-capacity private network will support the delivery of Starlink’s global satellite internet service, bringing businesses and consumers seamless connectivity to the cloud and Internet, and enabling the delivery of critical enterprise applications to virtually any location.
Organisations with broad footprints, like public sector agencies, businesses with presences at the network edge, or those operating in rural or remote areas, often require access to applications running in the cloud, or to cloud services like analytics, artificial intelligence, or machine learning. Connectivity from Starlink’s constellation of low-Earth-orbit satellites provides a path for these organisations to deliver data and applications to teams distributed across countries and continents, quickly and securely.
Commenting on the partnership, Urs Hölzle, Senior Vice President, Infrastructure at Google Cloud, said: “Applications and services running in the cloud can be transformative for organisations, whether they’re operating in a highly networked or remote environment. We are delighted to partner with SpaceX to ensure that organisations with distributed footprints have seamless, secure, and fast access to the critical applications and services they need to keep their teams up and running.”
Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer, added: “Combining Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency broadband with Google’s infrastructure and capabilities provides global organizations with the secure and fast connection that modern organizations expect. We are proud to work with Google to deliver this access to businesses, public sector organizations, and many other groups operating around the world.”
This new capability, delivered by Google Cloud and Starlink to enterprise customers, is expected to be available in the second half of 2021.
