(Credit: Starlink.com)
After temporarily discounting the standard Starlink dish to $299, SpaceX seems to have settled on a new price for the hardware: $349 in the US.
But don’t expect to pay $349 at checkout. Depending on where you plan on using the Starlink dish, the price may drop or increase by $100.
In some cases, SpaceX will tack on an additional $100 "congestion charge" if you’re buying the dish in a US state where Starlink’s network capacity is already strained from too many subscribers. Affected states include Texas, Florida, Kansas, Montana, and Washington.
In other states, the company will discount the dish to $249, citing its "regional savings" program, which is basically the opposite of the congestion charge. In areas “where Starlink has abundant network availability,” the company is offering a $100 discount applied at checkout. Eligible states include California, South Dakota, Wyoming, New York, and Pennsylvania.
The congestion charge and regional savings apply to consumers who buy Starlink for a residential plan, which costs $120 per month and limits the satellite internet service to the user’s address.
The congestion charge may annoy some US consumers, but even at $449, it's still a discount. When it first began rolling out a year ago, the company originally charged $599 for the standard “V4” Starlink dish hardware. But in June, SpaceX dropped the price to $499, or $299 for users living in the regional savings areas.
To get the Starlink dish for $349, users can subscribe to the Starlink roam plan, which lets people access the satellite internet service in multiple locations. But it includes a higher monthly fee of $165 per month following last month’s price change.
(Credit: Starlink.com)