Yes, Starlink satellites have inter-satellite laser links that can provide connectivity even if there's no base station nearby. These have been active since November 2022 [1]. They were supposed to expand coverage to most of the Arctic in early 2023 [2], which indeed seems to have happened [3].
Huh, neat. I think the last time I checked the coverage extent didn't go terribly far north of the US/Canada border.
Am I misremembering? I thought Starlink coverage started up north and then creeped downwards as they deployed more satellites.
The opposite. They started with low latitudes, up to London. The initial target market was big spenders, and there are progressively fewer of those north of London. Starlink in the high north remains hit or miss, particularly in mountains.