The cost of connecting to the internet via Starlink satellite has gone up, with new pricing for the SpaceX service set at $110 per month, up from the original rate of $99. Additionally, the one-time hardware fee for Starlink’s receiver dish is now $599, up from $499.
According to a report from Ars Technica, Starlink emailed customers about the change Tuesday, citing “excessive inflation” for the rising costs. The new pricing is now live on Starlink’s website, where prospective subscribers can preorder service at the new rates with a $99 deposit.
The preorder page on Starlink’s website lists the new, higher prices. In some areas, orders might not be fulfilled until 2023, the company says.
Screenshot by Ry Crist/CNET
Customers who already made their deposit and are still awaiting their hardware will be charged $549 for it once it arrives, Starlink’s email to customers reportedly read.
Those who’d like to back out can request a refund.
“You can initiate a full refund of your deposit by logging into your Account and requesting a refund,” Starlink’s support page reads, adding that refunds may take up to 10 days to be reflected in user financial accounts. “Please note that this action is irreversible and canceling your deposit will cause you to lose your place in line.”
Starlink’s goal of global availability and its promise of higher speeds and lower latency than other satellite providers has led to high demand, particularly in regions where options for getting online are limited. The service has seen a steady succession of successful launches over the past two years, bringing the total number of functional low Earth orbit satellites in the constellation above 2,000, but prospective customers report lengthy waits for service. In some regions, the company says orders might not be fulfilled “until 2023 or later.”
Last year, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the company had shipped 100,000 receiver terminals to customers. Later, in November, Starlink debuted a second-gen receiver dish with improved technical capabilities, a lighter design and the same upfront cost to customers as the original.
In April of last year, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell told a virtual panel at the Satellite 2021 LEO Digital Forum that she expected terminal costs to drop substantially in the coming years. Musk has called lowering the cost of those terminals, “our most difficult technical challenge.”
“Starlink is a staggeringly difficult technical & economic endeavor. However, if we don’t fail, the cost to end users will improve every year,” Musk tweeted last year.
SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/spacex-raises-the-price-of-starlink-satellite-internet-service/
