The latest product from Starlink is at the same time the most expensive offer so far. The provider promises Internet on ships for around 5,000 US dollars a month. Boss Elon Musk thinks the price is reasonable.
The satellite Internet Starlink has developed rapidly in just one year. In 2021 it was possible in Germany for the first time to book the service for private households. A version for mobile homes followed, and now Captain Musk is conquering the seas. With “Starlink Maritim” the company also brings the bowls for watercraft of all kinds.
Live streams on rough seas
Starlink promises “high-speed, low-latency Internet with download speeds of up to 350Mbps at sea.” Apparently, the hardware does not correspond to the counterpart to the home receiving station, but is adapted to the sometimes rough conditions at sea – and circumstances far beyond.
The company advertises that it will enable the transmission of rocket landings by sister company Spacex. It says: “In addition to extreme cold, heat, hail, sleet, heavy rain and gale force winds, Starlink can also withstand rocket engines.”
For commercial deployments, Starlink also offers the ability to monitor the entire fleet from a single corporate portal. The data is said to be end-to-end encrypted.
“Cheaper and faster than alternatives” – Elon Musk
In terms of price, “Starlink Maritim” is the provider’s most expensive product to date. The hardware costs $10,000 when you order it, and Starlink charges $5,000 a month for access. The package currently includes two so-called “High Performance Starlinks” and an adapter for masts.
At first glance, the premium version of the Starlink bowl differs in that it has increased protection against water ingress. In a tweet, Starlink boss Elon Musk also states that the terminals are able to maintain an Internet connection even in rough seas and heavy storms and that salt water cannot harm them.
This tweet is also interesting because Musk relativizes the price there. He writes: “Of course they are premium prices, but much cheaper and faster than alternatives. Spacex paid $150,000 a month for a much worse connection to our ships!”
“Starlink Maritime” is not yet suitable for every corner of the seven seas. If you look at the provider’s map, it still looks pretty bleak above Great Britain and below the Caribbean. Here the company promises reception from 2023. An Atlantic crossing from Portugal to Florida with continuous reception is also only possible from the end of 2022.
Those: Starlink
