(Credit: Starlink.com)
As SpaceX invites US users to buy the new Starlink Mini dish for $599, the company is also selling the hardware in Latin America — at a third of the price.
The company updated Starlink.com to mention selling the Mini dish in Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Panama. But in these markets, SpaceX is only charging $200. In addition, subscribers only need to pay $35 per month to receive broadband via the smaller dish model.
(Credit: Starlink.com)"Starlink 'Mini' Service is a more affordable service plan that is designed for Personal, Family, or Household use at a fixed, land-based location in select markets,” the company says on its support page. "It can be used only with the Starlink Mini Kit. Users will have an unlimited amount of deprioritized data each month with no long-term contracts or commitments."
SpaceX promises to deliver download rates between 50-100Mbps to Mini dish users. That’s a step down from the 150-250Mbps download speeds users can receive with a standard Starlink dish. However, the lower costs and still adequate internet speeds could appeal to users on a budget, especially those in rural or remote areas with limited broadband options.
(Credit: Starlink.com)The details offer a glimpse at how SpaceX could price the Mini dish model in the US. CEO Elon Musk previously said the product would arrive for “about half the price” of the standard V4 Starlink dish, which currently costs $499 following a recent $100 price cut.
For now, SpaceX is only inviting a small group of US customers to try the dish for $599 down and $30 per month for internet service.
“Our goal is to reduce the price of Starlink, especially for those around the world where connectivity has been unaffordable or completely unavailable,” the company explains on its support page. “In regions with high usage, like the US, where Starlink Mini places additional demand on the satellite network, we are offering a limited number of the Starlink Mini Kits to start at a higher price point.”
The statement suggests SpaceX might lower the Mini dish’s price in the US once it ramps up manufacturing and improves network capacity. But for now, the company is mainly using the Mini dish as a way to increase subscribers in countries where Starlink has room to grow. Last month, Musk reported Starlink reaching 3 million users globally.