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[Preorder] Low-Earth Orbit Satellite Internet (up to 150Mb/s) $139/Month + $809 Setup @ SpaceX / Starlink

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[Preorder] Low-Earth Orbit Satellite Internet (up to 150Mb/s) $139/Month + $809 Setup @ SpaceX / Starlink
Go to Deal
MSG on 09/02/2021 - 13:25 starlink.com (5876 clicks)
Last edited 09/02/2021 - 13:48 by 1 other user

Elon Musk’s space venture - SpaceX / Starlink is now available for preorders!

Starlink is a satellite internet service providing high-speed, low latency broadband internet with speeds from 50Mb/s to 150Mb/s and latency from 20ms to 40ms. Early beta users are reporting speeds of 100Mbps+.

For Australian addresses, the estimated date for coverage is mid-to-late 2021.

Preorders cost $139. When the service goes live, you will need to pay $809 for hardware (satellite dish + shipping) and a $139/month service fee.

This looks like an attractive option for those on NBN satellite. Also can be worthwhile to replace a slower NBN connection due to the exorbitant prices for a NBN FTTP upgrade.

Starlink is now delivering initial beta service both domestically and internationally, and will continue expansion to near global coverage of the populated world in 2021.
During beta, users can expect to see data speeds vary from 50Mb/s to 150Mb/s and latency from 20ms to 40ms in most locations over the next several months as we enhance the Starlink system. 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.

As a point of reference, the best speeds achieved on Starlink in USA are

Download: 209.17 Mbps
Upload: 47.74 Mbps
Ping: 15 ms

List of Confirmed Starlink Speed Tests

Referral Links

Referral: random (39)

1 Month of free service for referrer and referee.

Internet Satellite Internet

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closed Comments

        • Merlict on 09/02/2021 - 14:29
          +1

          That sucks. I'm sure they know that nomads would be a big user of this and are working on it.

          • inherentchoice on 10/02/2021 - 13:00

            @Merlict: Yes they are working on it. It's already being tested on ships and aircraft.

        • spaceflight on 09/02/2021 - 14:38
          +1

          I don't know how the service is tied to a single sell. LEO satellites move around the earth so you use more than one.

          GEO satellites are stationary, but these are not used by Starling.

          • banana365 on 09/02/2021 - 15:40

            @spaceflight:

            I don't know how the service is tied to a single sell.

            That's the bit that's buried in their Ts&Cs, to use it you've got to run really fast!

          • netjock on 09/02/2021 - 18:09
            -4

            @spaceflight: They can figure out how to make satellite fly around the earth without crashing but they can't work out how to pinpoint a person on the ground. Okay I can believe that.

            • spaceflight on 09/02/2021 - 19:04
              +2

              @netjock: Feel free to educate yourself about how satellite communications actually work rather than looking like an idiot.

        • Shwayne on 09/02/2021 - 16:37
          -2

          I assume mobile data / 5G is used to upload, you obviously can't send data to a satellite with equipment you'll have installed at home.

          • spaceflight on 09/02/2021 - 16:54
            +1

            @Shwayne: You assume wrong
            Data is sent to a satellite from your home.

            Satellite internet is pointless if it relies on mobile phone coverage. It's like saying mobile phones need a copper connection to the base station to work.

          • rossgeller on 09/02/2021 - 20:16

            @Shwayne: This is wrong. Look up how skymuster works, and thats not new technology

    • dwhes on 09/02/2021 - 13:47
      +3

      Yep they’ve said it will be allowed to be moved around and installed on vans. However initially you won’t be able to whilst they slowly expand coverage and work through the beta phase.

    • mathew42 on 09/02/2021 - 14:40

      I can see this being very attractive for grey nomads. Install the service on the caravan and use it on the road for six months use Starlink and when at home simply connect to the caravan parked in the driveway.

      This is similar to why some people choose a mobile data connection over fixed.

    • MSG on 09/02/2021 - 17:00

      You mean Cybertruck?

  • Bonsaichop on 09/02/2021 - 13:42
    +8

    You may want to edit the case of the 'b'. MB = megabytes Mb = megabits. Two very different speeds!

    • MSG on 09/02/2021 - 13:47
      +3

      Good point! Looks like a mod already updated it.

  • alx88 on 09/02/2021 - 13:47
    +4

    Amazing price for rurals. Over time as the prices drop they might compete with Telstra too. They have economy of scale on their side too as they can service anyone on earth. A lot of local wireless providers will be pushed out of business once this arrives.

    • ashtyn on 09/02/2021 - 16:27

      The setup fee is expensive though, unless it can be subsidised by x-year contract, e.g. Uniti has $150 setup for 1-year contract, but it charge $800 setup if no contract just like this service.

    • Merlict on 09/02/2021 - 13:51
      +5

      I think Elon is a complete (profanity) but this is a pretty life changing service for those stuck trying to run a business / stay in touch on shitty rural internet.

      • Blitzfx on 09/02/2021 - 13:54

        He's a complete what? Why?

        • THX on 09/02/2021 - 13:58
          +2

          he meant genius

          • Merlict on 09/02/2021 - 14:21
            +3

            @THX: I mean it can be both. He's a smart guy who can be an ahole at times.

  • Cluster on 09/02/2021 - 13:57
    +12

    Even people in urban areas can benefit from this. A relative of mine lives in the Adelaide Hills region and due to the position of the nearest NBN node, the highest speed he can ever achieve is just 25MBps. He lives 15 minutes from the CBD but that's all he can get. That's a lot better than before when ADSL was never available due to line length.

    Wireless? No line of sight. Mobile data? Traditionally a very expensive option, although it's semi doable now. Starlink would be a great alternative.

    • Blockey on 09/02/2021 - 14:30
      +3

      Exact situation I'm in, have signed up…

  • netjock on 09/02/2021 - 13:59
    +5

    More of PSA than a deal.

    • picklewizard on 09/02/2021 - 14:17
      +1

      In what universe is this a bargain?

      • ozbargainer88 on 09/02/2021 - 14:25
        +7

        Look at what you get with Skymuster plans.

        • picklewizard on 09/02/2021 - 16:50

          A pretty good example of economies of scale though.

        • netjock on 09/02/2021 - 18:01
          +1

          If it was 10% off regular price then it is a deal.

          Just because you can ship an iphone full price to a location without mobile coverage doesn't mean it is a bargain.

      • visualdescript on 09/02/2021 - 14:26
        +5

        In a universe where you're in a rural location with only existing satellite internet options available?
        This appears far superior.

    • Cluster on 09/02/2021 - 15:46
      +1

      If someone is about to sign up with a multi year NBN rural plan, knowing about this offer clearly qualifies as a bargain.

  • caitsith01 on 09/02/2021 - 13:59
    +16

    You may or may not care, but in case you do: Starlink currently threatens to seriously harm Earth-based astronomy and the response to the problem so far has been fairly half-hearted. So if you throw money at them you are supporting a potentially very negative outcome for science:

    https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/spacexs-dark-sate…

    • [Deactivated] on 09/02/2021 - 14:05
      +5

      Yep. With more rival networks and Starlink's 42,000(+?) the future sky is expected to have more visible satellites than visible stars. :(

      • xdivino on 09/02/2021 - 14:18
        -2

        LEO sat's will burn out over a shorter lifecycle and replacements will likely come in far smaller in micro sat designs as they can eventually redesign for more focused coverage or as panel's can shrink and deliver more power etc. So this will drive innovation over time.

        As for Earth based astronomy, we'll ideally eventually work above the satelite's as we progress space exploration and deliviery capabilities.

        We've had GPS up there for years and there's now 3-4 GPS compeitors up there, along with most communciation satelites etc. This will eventually phase out some of the others long term so we'll see a chunk of junk but eventually a big clean up can occur when we can deliver easily and fast replacements that do 3x 4x what a single purpose offering does.

        It will get better but will need to focus on getting outside earth based astronomy as well since we can do loads more.. ie space telescopes

        • caitsith01 on 09/02/2021 - 14:39
          +4

          This completely ignores the huge number of people who are into amateur or professional land-based photography. This is the equivalent of sticking mobile phone towers all over a national park or just off the beach in the ocean IMHO.

          • Hybroid on 09/02/2021 - 15:03
            +1

            @caitsith01: Fair point but there's a greater good argument to be made and line to be drawn somewhere. Both sides will certainly have pros and cons of their own.

        • spaceflight on 09/02/2021 - 14:40
          +1

          GPS uses MEO, not LEO so they are much further away from Earth.

      • netjock on 09/02/2021 - 18:12

        We're going to create our own trap. Can't leave LEO because we put high speed projectiles there.

    • sixthirty on 09/02/2021 - 14:41
      +1

      I am pretty sure the Elon solution was to build them a telescope on the moon.

      • netjock on 09/02/2021 - 18:12

        Is he paying for that or did he say "here is the solution, open source plans, now go and use it"

        • sixthirty on 09/02/2021 - 19:04

          “I am confident that we will not cause any effect whatsoever in astronomical discoveries,” Musk said. “Zero. That’s my prediction. We’ll take corrective action if it’s above zero.”

    • haemolysis on 09/02/2021 - 15:15
      +1

      Honestly, as much as starlink and other sources of “space junk” are a huge issue, satellite services are still far more important than astronomy. Even hundreds of years of lost research is a small price to pay.

      • netjock on 09/02/2021 - 18:17
        +1

        satellite services are still far more important than astronomy

        Not that I am into astronomy but what services are so important that you must have internet in the middle of the no where. How did we put so many people in the world before the internet.

        I guess having YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, SnapChat anywhere helps keep the peace.

      • caitsith01 on 09/02/2021 - 22:34
        +1

        The great irony of your post is that Elon's little satellite project, and indeed all 'satellite services', are only possible because of astronomy. So your assertion is necessarily wrong.

        • haemolysis on 09/02/2021 - 23:02
          -1

          That’s that’s just a mixture of fallacy and straw man, there’s no irony at all.

          It’s fallacy because it’s presupposed on the belief that because research findings of astronomy lead us to satellites in the past, we couldn’t or wouldn’t have done it another way if faced with that challenge.

          It’s straw-man because it’s implying that we still need that same astronomy tech NOW and can’t replace it with alternatives, including, funnily enough, satellite-based solutions. It’s not only technology that moves on, science does too.

          The benefits of satellites are way too important to put clear skies before them.

    • netjock on 09/02/2021 - 18:11
      +3

      People too busy looking down at their phones to look up eye level, forget the sky.

    • inherentchoice on 10/02/2021 - 13:04

      And aviation doesn't already?

  • quasio on 09/02/2021 - 14:17

    Wonder if this would provide a lower gaming ping to US servers?

    • vee124 on 09/02/2021 - 14:19
      +3

      nah it wouldn't, the satellites connect to a ground station in Australia. 24 approved with 4 locations planned. 1 south of Perth, 1 in South Australia, two in NSW.

      • mathew42 on 09/02/2021 - 15:22
        +2

        Once laser links between satellites become common, then yes latency will be lower, as light travels faster through a vacuum than glass.

        The 10 satellites launched in to polar orbit are testing the latest revision of lasers, but reports suggest costs are expensive. Laser links will also be needed to provide coverage over the oceans and that is a huge source of revenue.

    • inherentchoice on 10/02/2021 - 13:05
      +1

      Maybe in a few years, yes.

    • Merlict on 09/02/2021 - 14:26
      +7

      ..It makes sense in areas where fast NBN is not available.

    • dwhes on 09/02/2021 - 14:26
      +17

      Yes because someone living rurally has access to 1000/50 (facepalm). Not everything is about you or for you.

    • ozbargainer88 on 09/02/2021 - 14:26
      +2

      Yeah if you have fibre optic cable connected to your house. This is 100Mbps for people in the middle of nowhere.

    • visualdescript on 09/02/2021 - 14:27

      Unless, you know, you can't get NBN?
      This is a great way to open up and connect more of rural Australia, something the country needs badly.

    • MorriJ on 09/02/2021 - 14:29
      +1

      What's this NBN you talk about?

      Loads up 4G Telstra plan to check NBN site

      Planned to be available from
      Apr-Jun 2021*

      Note: Some premises may require more work before they are ready to connect.

      Planned technology
      nbn™ Fixed Wireless*

      • kkmenon1156 on 09/02/2021 - 14:32
        -1

        True excellent for rural areas. But for it to become mainstream, it would need more adoption than people in rural areas only. Honestly i expected more from this given the hype.

        • MorriJ on 09/02/2021 - 14:37

          It is, their going rate would get me a decent connection and significantly cheaper than what I pay for $2tb/mo on optus 4g/telstra 4g/tangerine 4g.

    • MauTauAja on 09/02/2021 - 14:55
      +1

      yes, what waste a money!

  • gumbs on 09/02/2021 - 14:24
    +1

    Can't get it to let me sign up without an address. Plus code doesn't work without a city.

    Doesn't let you put a different mailing to site address.

    Surely their target audience is largely people without a mail service.

    Asks you to pay $140 up front with no details on currency and an unknown wait period.

    I think I'll leave it until closer to the date and try then. There can't be more than 10 services with in 100km (assuming it let's me put in a coordinate instead of an address) so I assume I won't be locked out of the beta.

    • Merlict on 09/02/2021 - 14:27

      Surely their target audience is largely people without a mail service.

      Roaming isn't available yet so it's for fixed addresses

    • MorriJ on 09/02/2021 - 14:36

      You can always put in a neighbors address. They need to be able to ship the product to you and it's not a roaming service really.

      That said, if you can get bidirectional comms to the satellite, you could in theory roam with it. I just find setting up the satellites to be so fiddly on the camper bus already.

      I have a vast setup for TV when out and about roaming but can be painful to get signal.

      • gumbs on 09/02/2021 - 17:12

        The "neighbour" is 50km away and doesn't have an address either.

        The nearest place with a mail service is a pub 150km away, it's also not accepted.

        Our mailing address is one of two freight depots hubs hundreds of kms away or my home address back in Brisbane.

        Most remote rural homes, stations and camps have terrible internet and no real address.

        Like I said we're the target market but we don't have a street address as we're 150km from the nearest road with a name.

        I'd happily sign up and use an address in the nearest town if I could be certain they wouldn't randomly ship the package the package there without telling me.

        • MorriJ on 09/02/2021 - 22:18
          +2

          I'm not quite clear on what you want them to offer to be honest; I might be missing something.

          They let you put any address in for the service qualification; homestead; cattle station or the middle of a state forest.

          They let you choose any delivery location - including ones they can't verify - you tick the box that says I know the address exists, please send it here anyway; which is only reasonable - they need to know where to send the goods.

          I am sure you would be notified when the hardware ships.

  • axlfan on 09/02/2021 - 14:28
    +2

    As speeds of such services increase and costs decrease, that will help us get a better alternative to the NBN.

    • netjock on 09/02/2021 - 18:22
      -1

      You ever seen a Tesla decrease in price?

      If you have a top of the line product (Apple, Tesla) you might come in with cut down versions at a lower price but price never drops.

      Even internet in this country has never dropped. It might have gotten faster but never dropped.

      From dial up 56K to ADSL1 prices went up (I guess in line with speeds). ADSL2 prices went up from ADSL1. Cable internet prices went up. NBN prices went up. Yes they come in with these 10Mbps NBN but that is basically ADSL1. Only reason it is cheaper is because you don't have to pay $30 for a phone line.

      • axlfan on 09/02/2021 - 19:36

        Fair enough. But as long as speeds increase, we will be happy.

      • Skurfer on 10/02/2021 - 12:25
        +2

        Tesla dropped their prices by a fair bit late last year on their cars while at the same time upgrading the range of the batteries and the interior spec of the vehicles.
        https://www.caradvice.com.au/893403/tesla-model-3-price-aust…
        https://thedriven.io/2020/05/28/tesla-drops-price-for-model-…

        You're argument on internet prices does not stack up either. You are not comparing apples with apples. What you get for your money in regards to speed and data allowance has increased exponentially. If you wanted to maintain an ADSL1 speed with an ADSL1 data allowance from 10 years ago with the current NBN offerings or even using mobile data, you are paying significantly less now for the same product.

        • netjock on 10/02/2021 - 14:40
          -1

          Tesla dropped their prices by a fair bit late last year on their cars

          That is because the US price is converted into AUD and the AUD went up against USD. If you want to look at US prices they haven't moved that much

          You're argument on internet prices does not stack up either. You are not comparing apples with apples

          What you get at the same price point may increase. But the price point hasn't decreased. So if you are $1k short of money to buy a product no matter how much more data or speed you get you are still short. Unless the company comes out with a cut price plan.

          If it was bread at the same price point has the loaf grown exponentially? They give you more data than what most people can use or just over subscribe users. Don't be fooled into thinking you are getting something for free although the marketing makes you think that.

          • LiquidX96 on 10/02/2021 - 23:19
            +2

            @netjock: Well mate from the same article Model S performance price went from 135,000 down to 117,000 between Dec 2018 and march 2019. Also model 3 all versions price went down around $4000. So again your assumption about US prices of Tesla not going down significantly isn't correct.

  • Kontiki on 09/02/2021 - 14:32
    +2

    Not cheap but this will be great for rural properties.

  • Ureviel on 09/02/2021 - 14:35
    +1

    Good news, even though it's not cheap it's already two times faster and only took them 5 years to do this. This should help reduce pricing all around the other telcos with their high prices for shitty services.

  • ywpn on 09/02/2021 - 14:37

    Can I pay with Bitcoin or Doge?

  • tightm8 on 09/02/2021 - 14:38

    I was on cable, recently was forced to switch to NBN, has been nothing but a nightmare.

    Can't even game anymore, ffs.

    • ItsMeAgro on 09/02/2021 - 16:19
      +1

      Churn to Aussie Broadband or someone else with good service, and then complain. They will send out an NBN tech and fix it. That's what I did.

      You should definitely get decent-ish speeds and ping on HFC, at least as good as what you had before.

      • Kontiki on 10/02/2021 - 09:35
        +1

        I can't +1 this enough. Go with the more reputable providers & pay a bit more if needed. Ignore the Dodo's and equivalant.

  • TheFyrd on 09/02/2021 - 14:41

    Really cool service. I just wish it was faster and cheaper because for me Optus 5G speeds slaps this at $70 pm.

    • Kontiki on 10/02/2021 - 09:36

      I think they are aiming for the more isolated properties, where you even would be lucky to get 4G.

  • Junnyjun on 09/02/2021 - 14:41
    +1

    Thanks op.

  • max900 on 09/02/2021 - 14:42

    My NBN HFC is deteriorating since it was installed 4 years ago. Maybe i will consider this in the future.

    • Twix on 09/02/2021 - 14:47
      +4

      Talk to your ISP and get NBN to fix it.

  • mrvaluepack on 09/02/2021 - 14:44
    +1

    Good luck during winter when its cloudy and rainy most of the time.

    • tm001 on 09/02/2021 - 14:48
      +5

      Seems to work even without the luck….
      https://www.businessinsider.com.au/spacexs-starlink-still-pr….

    • Merlict on 09/02/2021 - 14:49
      +2

      Those looking at this are probably already on fixed wireless / satellite.

    • inherentchoice on 10/02/2021 - 13:07

      Works fine in snow, cloud and rain.

      • mrvaluepack on 10/02/2021 - 14:11

        I have had satellite tv before and I seriously doubt this would work any different in cloudy and rainy days.

        • inherentchoice on 10/02/2021 - 14:43

          But there is a big difference between low earth orbit and geostationary orbit. It's about 40,000 kms.

          Also satellite TV is a single, blanket broadcast but Starlink uses targeted transmissions with phased array antennas.

  • Scythic on 09/02/2021 - 15:18

    We're one step closer to SkyNET??

  • McOzbargainer on 09/02/2021 - 15:23

    Latency is very impressive as well as speed.

  • iratepirate on 09/02/2021 - 15:27
    +1

    Is there a download cap limit? - 'cause NBN caps suck big time. I don't think I've ever come in under my download cap over the last 3 years on Skymuster… and ping times from 600-800ms mean no gaming online.

    • ItsMeAgro on 09/02/2021 - 16:22
      +2

      Nah download caps are a scam that only Australians fall for nowadays, they don't even bother trying it in the US, so it probably hasn't even occurred to SpaceX.

      • ashtyn on 09/02/2021 - 16:48
        +5

        Many US ISPs still have 1TB cap. Mobile data cap is similar to here.

      • spaceflight on 09/02/2021 - 19:19

        Yes American ISPs are so great at giving unlimited data that they now charge people with unlimited data plans extra if they go over 1.2TB.
        https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/23/21591420/comcast-cap-dat…

        I can't wait until Australia catches up to the great system that they have in the US.

        • Kontiki on 10/02/2021 - 09:39
          -1

          In all honesty though, using 1.2TB for personal use is hardly 'fair use'.

          • Kontiki on 10/02/2021 - 11:50
            +1

            @Kontiki: Just did some calculations and must say, times have changed. Roughly 40 GB per day, you get there with a few 4K movies per day.

          • Merlict on 10/02/2021 - 12:16

            @Kontiki: For a home 'unlimited' connection I think that's perfectly fair.

            Take a house with 5 people.. that's only 8gb each per day. Easy to blow through when some games are 100gb+ and 4k streaming is a thing

            • Kontiki on 10/02/2021 - 14:40
              +1

              @Merlict: Yeah I have reflected on my own post above. Providers used to hate it when your connection was active full-speed 24/7 ( = red flag for a torrent seeder), that's when their FUP came in. But times have changed and I'm getting old. I downloaded an update for Warzone last week that was 50 GB or something.

    • AngryAlfred on 09/02/2021 - 19:51

      Have you looked at Skymuster Plus? It's all unmetered (though sometimes shaped) except for streaming video and VPN. I've been using a Seedbox and then downloading to my computer over FTP to avoid the data cap.

  • InsertCrow on 09/02/2021 - 15:32

    Cheers OP, might be building a property soon so this could be great depending how close we are to the node

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