Starlink unveils $ 5,000 a month Internet for oil rigs and premium yachts

SpaceX yesterday announced a Starlink Maritime service that will bring satellite Internet service to large boats for $ 5,000 per month and a pre-purchase of $ 1[ads1]0,000 hardware.

“From merchant vessels to oil rigs to premium yachts, Starlink Maritime lets you disconnect from the most remote waters around the world, just as you would in the office or at home,” the service’s website said.

Starlink Maritime announces download speeds of up to 350 Mbps and the ability to “pause and pause the service at any time” while being billed in one-month increments. There is also “secure fleet management” and remote monitoring to “manage your Starlink fleet from a single portal.”

The user terminals displayed on the Starlink Maritime page look like those used in Starlink’s Internet Home Service. But SpaceX boss Elon Musk wrote on Twitter that Starlink Maritime uses “high-performance dual terminals, which are important for maintaining connectivity in choppy seas and severe storms.” The terminals are also “robust to relentless salt spray and extreme winds and storms in the deep sea,” he wrote.

Musk says $ 5,000 is cheaper than alternatives

Musk acknowledged that the monthly cost of $ 5,000 is “obv[iously] “premium pricing”, but added that “it is much cheaper and faster than alternatives.”

“SpaceX paid $ 150k / month for a much worse connection to our ships!” Musk wrote.

The unveiling of Starlink Maritime came shortly after the Federal Communications Commission granted SpaceX’s application to operate consumer and business ground stations (ESIM) throughout the United States. The approval includes the movement of vehicles, aircraft and vessels in US territorial waters and international waters.

Starlink already had a motorhome service, but it is not intended to be used while a motorhome is in motion. Another vehicle relocation service is probably on the way, and SpaceX plans to offer Starlink Internet on flights.

If you’ve tired of your yacht and just want Starlink Internet at home, it costs $ 110 per month with a one-time $ 599 hardware fee.