SpaceX priced its Starlink satellite internet service for $99 per month and it is inviting certain consumers to participate in the “Better Than Nothing” public beta test of the service.
Some people shared on Reddit that they received an invitation from SpaceX indicating that in addition to the monthly subscription fee, consumers will have to pay a $499 upfront cost for the Starlink satellite internet service kit, which includes a user terminal, mounting tripod, and router.
SpaceX also stated in the e-mail that it is lowering the initial expectations for the Starlink satellite internet service’s data speed data speeds and latency. The company said its internet service can provide data speeds from 50MB/s to 150Mb/s and latency from 20ms to 40ms over the next several months as it works to “enhance the Starlin system” during the beta test.
“There will also be brief periods of no connectivity at all. As we launch more satellites, install more ground stations, and improve our networking software, data speed, latency, and uptime will improve dramatically. For latency, we expect to achieve 16ms to 19ms by summer 2021,” according to SpaceX in the e-mail sent to consumers.
