SpaceX has recently introduced a compact version of its Starlink antennas, aimed at providing a portable satellite internet solution for users.
The “Starlink Mini,” as described in a customer email obtained by CNBC (via Tesla North), is a lightweight and easily portable device designed to offer high-speed, low-latency internet access on the go.
The Starlink Mini antennas are available for early access at a price of $599 USD each, which is $100 more than the standard “Residential” antenna. SpaceX has plans to reduce this cost in the future. “Our goal is to reduce the price of Starlink, especially for those around the world where connectivity has been unaffordable or completely unavailable,” the company stated in the email.
Service for the Starlink Mini is priced at $150 USD per month, incorporating a $30 USD monthly bundle added to the $120 USD Residential service fee. The “Mini Roam” service permits usage throughout the United States with a 50-gigabyte monthly data cap, charging $1 per gigabyte for additional data.
The Starlink Mini antenna is comparable to a laptop in size, measuring around 12 inches by 10 inches by 1.5 inches and weighing just over two pounds. It is 63% lighter than the standard Starlink dish and includes a built-in WiFi router, lower power consumption, and a DC power input.
Designed to fit in a backpack, the device is only slightly larger than a piece of paper and can function in temperatures ranging from -30°C to 50°C (-22°F to 122°F). Deliveries for the Starlink Mini are expected to begin in July.
This Starlink Mini antenna will allow backpackers, campers and hikers access to high-speed internet no matter where they are going. Typically, those exploring in the wilderness typically have no cellular coverage and rely on satellite devices from companies such as Garmin or even Apple’s Emergency SOS via Satellite. Soon, Apple will debut Messages via Satellite.
Here’s a video showing the setup of Starlink Mini that takes just minutes:
@michaelnicollsx – I just set up a fresh mini. About two minutes from box to 180Mbps pic.twitter.com/pzjpdz0fjK
— Chad Gibbs (@chadgibbs88) June 21, 2024
The Mini Roam service, costing an additional $30 per month, provides 50GB of mobile data that can be used anywhere in the United States, with extra data costing $1 per gigabyte. The router features a built-in bypass mode, and SpaceX is accelerating production to make the Mini available in international markets soon, which likely will include Canada.
Although the email did not specify the exact start date for deliveries, Michael Nicolls, Vice President of Starlink Engineering, mentioned on social media that the company is increasing production and that the Mini will soon be available internationally. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk also emphasized on Monday that setting up a Starlink Mini takes less than five minutes, calling it a “transformative” product.
The company’s Direct to Cell Starlink service is set to launch later this year starting in the U.S. with T-Mobile, bringing mobile coverage to nearly everywhere on Earth. In Canada, SpaceX’s partner for this Direct to Cell service is Rogers.
SpaceX has roughly 6,000 Starlink satellites now in orbit since the service launched in 2020, connecting over 3 million customers in 100 countries.
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