SpaceX is improving on its Starlink Standard satellite internet service as it rollouts Starlink Premium, touting significant improvements.
Most recognize SpaceX as the company founded and owned by Elon Musk which produces technology to be used in space exploration, or maybe even just for their rocket launches. It appears, however, that the research from the company can also be applied to other areas, as SpaceX looks to be expanding its influence in its newly announced creation of a “premium” version of its Starlink satellite internet.
SpaceX is not new to creating the internet service, as it originally launched its standard Starlink service in 2020. The premium service, however, figures to be a massive improvement on the original model, with the company promising drastically faster service speeds due to improvements in the technology. “Starlink Premium has more than double the antenna capability of Starlink, delivering faster internet speeds and higher throughput for the highest demand users, including businesses,” SpaceX said in a statement released on their website.
Another perk of Starlink Premium will be that the service can be accessed from anywhere, which taps further into the idea of satellite internet than Starlink Standard originally did, which only offered service at one specific location per user. With the drastic improvements of SpaceX’s Starlink, there is inevitably an increase in price as well. In fact, the spike in price is significant. The hardware alone will cost $2,500 for each user, on top of the $500 monthly fee and the $500 refundable deposit. This is literally five times what Starlink standard costs at $499 and $99.
With the increase in price in mind, it is important to note that Starlink Premium offers an internet service experience like never before. In fact, the jump from Premium to Standard seems more significant than the difference between Starlink Standard and other more common forms of non-satellite internet service. If SpaceX has success with this rollout, it is not far-fetched to believe that this technology may soon become more accessible for all.
