SpaceX is offering a 50% discount for Starlink hardware in Australia till New Year’s Eve. The company sent out mails to customers saying that the Starlink Kit now costs $450 AUD. It is nearly half of the original price of $924 AUD. The kit has the following items – The phased array antenna to receive data from the satellite constellation and the Wi-Fi router to access the internet wirelessly.
In the mail, the company wrote, “SpaceX’s Starlink has an offer for Australia only – Over 50% off your Kit until New Year’s Eve!” The monthly Starlink subscription for Australia costs $139 AUD. “Redeem today and connect to high-speed internet within a week. Available for fixed service at your home, or on the go for your caravan across Australia!”
SpaceX is offering this promotion to Australians because the service is now capable of providing extensive internet coverage across the country. The official Starlink Coverage Map states there is covetage across the majority of the country, except some northern areas which are expected to have coverage early next year (pictured below). Starlink is useful for rural and remote communities where traditional internet infrastructures are unreliable to provide internet. SpaceX’s satellite constellation of nearly thousands of satellites can beam internet anywhere on Earth, including regions where the internet does not exist.
Broadband satellite constellation
SpaceX already operates the world’s largest broadband satellite constellation. According to the Starlink availability map, the satellite internet service is available in the vast majority of the country, with the exception of some northern areas. Those areas are expected to come online in the first quarter of 2023. According to data collected by astronomer Jonathan McDowell, SpaceX has launched a total of 3,558 satellites and out of those 3,275 remain in Low Earth Orbit. It is unclear how many are actively beaming internet service. The company already provides high-speed services globally across 44 countries, including maritime customers at sea and aboard aircraft.
Along with the discount in Australia, SpaceX has also cut the price of the monthly subscription fee in Italy. According to emails sent to existing customers, the monthly fee has been reduced by 29% from €70 to €50 ($94 to $67 CAD/$69 to $44 USD). The company is also offering a limited time promotion where customers will only have to pay €1 for the Starlink hardware. The remaining balance will be billed to the customer’s account 30 days after the service is activated, unless the customer opts to cancel and return the equipment within those 30 days. This offer is also being made to customers in Switzerland (for CHF 1), where SpaceX also just launched Starlink for RV for CHF 119 per month ($162 CAD/$119 USD).
