Starlink announces a significant drop in the monthly subscription price of its Internet access offer through space. But at the beginning of 2022, the operator increased the price of the connection kit.
Starlink is now much more competitive in France. In an email sent on August 3, the satellite Internet provider reports that it has halved the amount of the monthly subscription. The price is now 50 euros per month against the previous 99 euros. In addition, the shipping and service costs, which were 59 euros, disappear.
The package therefore now costs 684 euros. This includes 50 euros for the first month and 634 euros for the equipment, that is, essentially the dish to be placed in the direction of the sky, but also the Wi-Fi router, the power supply, the mounting stand and cables. Note that the hardware itself once cost 499 euros before increasing in March 2022.
Thereby, the price drop indicated on August 3 by SpaceX is less spectacular than it seems, although in the long term the halving of the price of the package is able to erase the inconvenience from the satellite dish. The new prices have already been applied on the official website. The halving price applies to everyone on the French mainland.
In another email, this time sent to the operator’s customers, Starlink warns that a ” fair use policy will be implemented from October 2022, which consists of maintaining unlimited access for everyone, but not prioritizing those who consume less than 250 GB per month. In addition to that, slower speeds can be observed.
” Users can also choose to purchase additional data to restore priority to €10/100GB. Prioritization is based on data usage only, regardless of content provider. “Adding the email from Starlink. These indications are not apparent from the email sent to the media on August 3rd.
Starlink, an internet service provider that sends the internet connection through space
Starlink is the name of a service and a network of satellites belonging to SpaceX, an American company founded by Elon Musk in early 2000. It specializes in astronautics and provides services to send satellites into orbit, but is also capable of transporting and repatriating astronauts between Earth and the International Space Station.
Starlink functions as an Internet service provider, except that its Internet connection goes through space thanks to the communications satellites that SpaceX has been sending regularly since 2018. This constellation now has a few thousand units in orbit around Earth. All belong to SpaceX. The company also has ground stations to be in touch with them.
Starlink originally described itself as a solution that could provide an Internet connection anywhere in the world, particularly in remote areas of the globe and poorly served by more traditional telecommunications infrastructures. We were therefore essentially thinking of countries in Africa, South America or Asia. But it is actually primarily in the West that the service currently operates.
The interest in Starlink is debatable in France, even with a price that is half the price of the package. Compared to the rates used by traditional operators, it is too expensive. This can be a solution for very rural or hard-to-reach areas. However, with the continued deployment of 4G and 5G networks in mobile and fiber in fixed, the argument tends to weaken.
Starlink offers a no-obligation plan – you can try the kit for 30 days and return it for a full hardware refund if you’re not satisfied. Note that Starlink also offers a portability option which costs an additional 25 euros per month – this is a solution for people who roam all the time.
(updated with a clarification not appearing in the email to the media regarding the fair use policy)
