Elon Musk’s SpaceX launches high-speed internet service for yachts

Elon Musk’s firm SpaceX is expanding its satellite internet service to offer high-speed Starlink Maritime internet to yachts, oil rigs and merchant vessels.

The Starlink Maritime website claims users can enjoy ‘high-speed, low-latency internet’ that reaches download speeds of 350 megabits per second, even in the ‘most remote waters in the world.’

The service comes at a cost, however. The initial hardware fee is US$10,000 for two ‘ruggedized’ terminals, and thereafter follows a monthly fee of US$5,000 for the service. SpaceX says that the service can be paused at any time.

Twitter users were quick to point out that the fee for residential users of Starlink is a mere US$110 a month with a US$599 one-time equipment fee.

However, Musk took to social media to defend the large pricing difference, arguing that the maritime service was not the same as the residential service, due to the harsh conditions boats can encounter. He explained that the ‘high-performance’ terminals are designed to withstand salt spray and strong winds, and maintain a connection in storms and choppy seas.

Musk adds that SpaceX had previously paid US$150,000 a month for internet on its own ships, saying this service provided a “much worse connection” than Starlink Maritime. 

No, it’s dual, high performance terminals, which are important for maintaining the connection in choppy seas & heavy storms.

Still obv premium pricing, but way cheaper & faster than alternatives.

SpaceX was paying $150k/month for a much worse connection to our ships!

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2022

SpaceX also posted a video comparison, showing a difference in the quality of two videos of a SpaceX rocket landing on a ship. One video was taken using the Starlink service, and one was taken without.

In addition to withstanding extreme cold, heat, hail, sleet, heavy rain, and gale force winds, Starlink is rugged enough to withstand rocket landings. Here’s live video captured on a SpaceX droneship at sea with and without Starlink pic.twitter.com/EKhLrjLhlq

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 7, 2022

Starlink Maritime currently only extends coverage to waters around North America, Europe and Australia. However, the firm says it seeks to expand that to the rest of the world by Q1 2023.

On July 8, Austrian electric yacht-builder Silent-Yachts posted on social media to announce it is partnering with Starlink Maritime to integrate its internet services across its range of solar electric catamarans, to offer buyers Starlink’s high-speed internet services on board. The news was widely reported in yachting media.

However, the post has now been deleted. MIN has reached out to Silent-Yachts for a comment on the retracted announcement.

Launched in 2019, Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX, providing satellite internet access coverage to 34 countries.

So far, SpaceX has launched more than 2,000 of its Starlink satellites into orbit and aims to have 12,000 in the sky by 2026. In 2020, rowers were caught off-guard by the sight of them streaming across the night skies.