Elon Musk has said that SpaceX’s Starlink internet could be available globally from August.

Starlink has 69,000 customers signed up so far – but this could reach more than 500,000 in the next 12 months.

Regulators in individual countries must approve Starlink before it can be used.

So far, SpaceX has launched more than 1,500 satellites into orbit, which provide internet to about 12 countries. Musk told MWC that he expects total investment costs in Starlink to be between $20 billion and $30 billion. He also teased two ‘quite significant’ partnerships with major telecoms companies in the MWC interview but declined to give further details.

The company is losing money on its internet terminals, which cost the company $1,000 to make and are sold to customers for around $500 each with a $99 monthly subscription. In May, the company said that more than 50,000 people had placed an order or put down a deposit for Starlink.

SpaceX has said that it is working on building new terminals that cost less.