Starlink Internet already on yachts – for $5,000 per month
On June 30, Elon Musk’s SpaceX received official permission from the US regulator to provide the Starlink satellite Internet service to users of cars, sea vessels and aircraft (the company submitted the request in early 2021), and today a new version of the terminal with enhanced protection for light boats, yachts and cruise ships debuted. At the same time, a corresponding service – Starlink Maritime – was launched.
Yes, Starlink is expanding once again – it all started with ordinary households, and in the last few months SpaceX managed to make the Internet ‘mobile’, as Elon Musk planned from the very beginning – it became available in cars (1 and 2), and will soon appear in airplanes As for the ‘mobility’ of Starlink, we are talking about different versions of receivers that ensure the availability of the service not only in private homes, but also in transport. SpaceX never intended to compete with cellular carriers.
Starlink Maritime allows you to connect from some of the most remote waters in the world → https://t.co/Qa48wiYN5f pic.twitter.com/Vd3Bli6id2
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 7, 2022
As for Starlink Maritime, SpaceX has already started accepting applications for connection on the project’s website — with equipment shipment deadlines of about two weeks. The price of the equipment — two high-speed receivers with enhanced protection, which are able to maintain stable communication during waves at sea and strong storms — is $10,000. The subscription fee for the service is $5,000 per month. If necessary, the service can be suspended – you only need to pay for months of active Internet use. In addition, Starlink Maritime offers higher reception speeds of up to 350 Mbps. But the signal delay is slightly longer — <99 ms compared to 20-40 ms for other tariffs. There are no data volume or speed limits on the Maritime tariff, as there are on other Starlink plans. At the same time, SpaceX warns against "excessive use of network resources."
By comparison, Starlink equipment for households (service Residential) and motorhomes (RV) costs $599 – the set includes one (more compact) Dishy McFlatface (as the "dish" is called by fans) with a home rate of $110 per month or $135 per month for home owners on wheels It is worth noting here that the RV tariff prohibits the use of the Internet while moving the RV, and violation of the conditions leads to the loss of the warranty.
Currently, the coverage area of Starlink Maritime is limited – it is the waters of the USA, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, etc. Coverage in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres will be extended until the first quarter of 2023.
Starlink Maritime coverage
In summary, Starlink Maritime is not cheap. At the same time, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk drew attention to the fact that the company previously paid $150,000 per month for ‘much worse’ Internet on ships that serve the launch of Falcon 9 rockets.
No, it’s dual, high performance terminals, which are important for maintaining the connection in choppy seas & heavy storms.
Still obv premium pricing, but way cheaper & faster than alternatives.
SpaceX was paying $150k/month for a much worse connection to our ships!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2022
SpaceX has published a video recording the landing of the first stage of the Falcon 9 on an autonomous marine platform, which allows you to evaluate the quality of the image from Starlink Maritime (right) in comparison with the unnamed service of another company (left).
In addition to withstanding extreme cold, heat, hail, sleet, heavy rain, and gale force winds, Starlink is rugged enough to withstand rocket landings. Here’s live video captured on a SpaceX droneship at sea with and without Starlink pic.twitter.com/EKhLrjLhlq
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 7, 2022
***
As already noted at the beginning of the text, SpaceX launched the Maritime tariff a week after receiving permission from the American regulator FCC to provide the Starlink service on transport while in motion. The FCC filing mentions potential interference while operating in the 12.2-12.7 GHz band, the operating frequencies used by Starlink and which Dish Network wants to use to provide 5G services. That seems like a potential problem given the ongoing dispute between SpaceX and Dish — SpaceX says Dish’s plans for 12GHz 5G service will “render Starlink unusable,” and Dish accuses SpaceX of lying. In the meantime, we are waiting for the launch of Starlink Internet in Ukrzaliznytsia trains by the end of 2022.
