SpaceX tests global Starlink roaming service for $200 a month
SpaceX's Starlink satellite broadband service is apparently testing a global roaming service for $200 per month.
Via PCMag, some Starlink customers have received an email invite about the upcoming "global roaming service" that delivers access across countries. The email says the service allows the $599 Starlink terminal to "connect from almost anywhere on land in the world".
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The service operates through inter-satellite laser links to provide global connectivity, but there is also an alert that the service is dependent on regulatory approvals that have not been granted in all territories across the globe.
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"As this is a new technology, you can expect Starlink's typical high speed, low-latency service intermixed with brief periods of poor connectivity, or none at all," SpaceX warns users, though it notes the service will "improve dramatically over time".
The offer also notes that global roaming services are "contingent on regulatory approvals". Some countries have not approved Starlink. The global "on land" service has been offered as SpaceX rolls out its Starlink maritime service for oceans and seas.
The maritime service, which costs $5,000 per month with a $10,000 starter kit, is also contingent on regulatory approvals. Currently, the service can be ordered from the US, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Germany, Italy, Chile, Poland, Switzerland, Austria, and Belgium. While it is expensive, SpaceX argues the maritime service is actually a lot cheaper and better than VSAT alternatives.
SpaceX's email explains that global roaming is only available in US dollars and that customers based outside of the US are "responsible for acting as the importer of Record for the Starlink Kit, which may include the payment of customs duties and import taxes, if required. Global Roaming services are contingent on regulatory approvals."
This service is also separate to Starlink for RVs, which is available for land usage in North America, Australia, and most of Europe, and costs about $135 a month.
Starlink aviation costs between up to $25,000/month, with a hardware fee of $150,000.