Starlink Premium will launch in April 2022 for $2,000 more than the standard service
SpaceX announced a new version of Starlink that offers better internet speed at a higher price.
Starlink Premium advertises speeds of 150 to 500 Mbps (20 to 40 ms latency), compared to 50 to 250 Mbps (20 to 40 ms latency) for the standard service.
The company claims that upload speeds are double as well: a maximum of 40 Mbps compared to the normal 20 Mbps. There are no data limits on the service yet.
“Starlink Premium has more than twice the antenna capacity of Starlink, providing better internet speeds and higher performance for the most demanding users, including businesses,” states its website.
Supposedly, this new antenna operates more consistently in “extreme weather conditions,” and customers will have access to constant support from SpaceX.
This upgrade is more than $2,000 more expensive than the standard subscription. Standard Starlink costs $499 for the antenna and then $99 per month for the subscription, while Premium costs $2,500 for the hardware and then $500 per month.
In the UK, the standard subscription to Starlink costs US$597.28 (£439) for the satellite dish plus a monthly fee of US$114.29 (£84). For Starlink Premium, a US$500 deposit is also required to reserve the antenna. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in April 2022.
“SpaceX standard antenna production is ramping up rapidly this year so these orders shouldn’t have to wait long,” CEO Elon Musk tweeted, but warned that “Starlink can only serve a limited number of users in one area.” .
Starlink’s standard service has a history of forcing buyers to build “idiot device[s]” to get the best internet signal – you need a 100 degree cone with a minimum elevation of 25 degrees around the center from the dish. Starlink also notes that “a single tree” can disrupt service for users.
However, Premium may not have the same issues, as it has “twice the area of our standard phased display with a wider scan angle,” Musk explained.