starlink
SpaceX yesterday announced a Starlink Maritime service that will bring satellite Internet service to large boats for $5,000 a month and a $10,000 up-front hardware purchase.
“From merchant ships to oil rigs to premium yachts, Starlink Maritime allows you to connect from the most remote waters around the world, just like you would at the office or at home,” says the service’s webpage.
Starlink Maritime advertises download speeds of up to 350 Mbps and the ability to “pause and unsubscribe service at any time”, while billing the cost in one-month increments. There is also “secure fleet management” and remote monitoring to “manage your Starlink fleet from a single portal”.
The user terminals shown on the Starlink Maritime page are similar to the terminals used in Starlink’s home internet service. But SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote on Twitter that Starlink Maritime uses “double, powerful terminals, which are important for maintaining the connection in choppy seas and severe storms.” The terminals are also “robust against relentless salt spray and extreme winds and storms in the deep ocean,” he wrote.
Musk says $5,000 is cheaper than alternatives
starlink
Musk admitted that the $5,000 monthly fee is “obvious”[iously] “premium pricing” but added that “it is much cheaper and faster than alternatives.”
“SpaceX paid $150,000 a month for a much worse connection to our ships!” wrote Musk.
The Starlink Maritime disclosure came shortly after the Federal Communications Commission granted SpaceX’s application to operate consumer and enterprise ground stations on the move (ESIM) across the US. The approval includes moving vehicles, aircraft and ships in US territorial and international waters.
Starlink already had a service for motorhomes, but it is not intended to be used while a motorhome is in motion. Another vehicle-moving service is believed to be underway, and SpaceX plans to offer Starlink Internet on flights.
If you’re tired of your yacht and just want Starlink Internet at home, it costs $110 per month with a one-time $599 hardware fee.
