In what seems to be a first, SpaceX is offering a $100 discount to US customers for Starlink, the company’s satellite internet service.
The discount is arriving for the standard Starlink dish through Best Buy and at Home Depot. On Thursday, both retailers dropped the regular $599 pricing down to $499.
That’s good news for consumers who are on the fence about the satellite internet service. Although the upfront cost is high, Starlink can deliver high-speed internet to rural, remote areas, or to places stuck with limited broadband options.
It’s unclear how long the discount will last. But it coincides with other Memorial Day sales, so the reduced price could be live through Monday.
The discount also signals that SpaceX is trying to boost sales for Starlink in the US. The company has largely sold the satellite internet service to consumers through its official Starlink.com site. But this month, SpaceX began offering the dish through both Best Buy and Home Depot, giving the internet system greater exposure to consumers.
Both retailers also appear to have Starlink units at physical stores, ready for pickup. However, it looks like Best Buy and Home Depot have blocked sales in US states where the residential tier for Starlink is currently behind a waitlist. So interested consumers should first check the official Starlink.com map, and plug in their address to see if they can receive Starlink service to their desired address before buying.
When it first launched, SpaceX was selling the standard Starlink dish for $499, but last year, the company increasd the hardware price to $599, citing rising costs from inflation. Consumers must also pay $90 or $120 per month to receive internet with the Starlink residential plan, depending on their location.