Costs estimates of using Starlink internet on moving vehicles seemed much needed. Especially, when compared with the other internet services, it doesn’t just stop at the internet speed. Recently Royal Caribbean cruise ships were seen to be equipped with Starlink dishes, and a user shared his experience with the service. Then it was revealed that FCC-approved Starlink dishes are for use on moving vehicles. However, the question remains on whether that is actually worthwhile, and if yes what could be the costs for the customer.
Typical basic wifi charges in Royal Caribbean include $11 per day, which the maximum could roughly charge $20 per day. According to the experience shared by the user at Royal Caribbean, the regular Wifi which they used earlier could be used for playing videos without any buffer. However, the issue was with video calls. With a typical pricing system, it could cost above $20, going up to $30. Further considering that Starlink uses terminals that are more advanced than fighter jets, the price could go up to $50 (possibly). The monthly price is $99, having a set up each day could easily cost $3.3 for the cruise. Now let’s see how much it costs for the cruise to maintain the other internet setups.
The Surf and Stream Speed Voom cost about $22.99 per day for the Cruise customer. For the cruise, the costs are not known as the services are solely for cruise ships. However, considering the internet speed, usually at 3mbps download speed, it is less than FCC recommended 25 Mbps on land. The costs could easily be less than $61 per month (this is how much the average American spends on Internet services). At most the cruise ship would be spending around $2.03 per day for various devices through its internet services. At this pace, their pricing system could be 10 times more, as it includes services charges, setting up charges, maintenance charges, etc.
Finally, it could be safe to say that Starlink internet services could be priced at $30-$40 per person per day. Though more people could connect to one Starlink dish, it is likely that the standard price would include typical one-day costs. It is because the number of users would be unpredictable and standard pricing would ensure the services are maintained and offered regularly.
The same services being offered on planes and trains could vary. However, it is not a cheap option for those who don’t have the absolute necessity to use high-speed internet. There are ways to get cheaper options through discounts. It is nothing new about the internet speed being low in moving vehicles. Moreover, SpaceX Starlink is working on lowering its costs and make it affordable.
Note: Please note that the costs are subject to change depending on the speed and services. Many options are provided by the Royal Caribbean cruise and the costs were only applied to basic prices. It could increase with the higher speeds.
