Starlink Launches Internet for Yachts, Will Cost $5,000 a Month

Starlink, the satellite internet service from Elon Musk's SpaceX, has launched a tougher version of its dish to provide internet on ships, yachts and other remote places. Named Starlink Maritime, it can deliver upto 350 Mbps download speeds while at sea. This comes a few days after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the United States gave Starlink the permission to provide internet service to moving vehicles. The FCC approval will allow the company to expand its broadband offerings to commercial airlines and other vehicles.

The announcement was made by Starlink in a tweet on Friday, which had a link to explain the features of its satellite internet hardware.

The entire set-up, however, is not cheap. The dish that will be used to connect to Starlink satellite and provide internet will cost $10,000. And then, the customers will have to pay $5,000 a month for the service.

Mr Musk defended the pricing on Twitter, replying to a user that the antennae differ from their residential counterpart and are "important for maintaining the connection in choppy seas & heavy storms."

"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!" the SpaceX chief said in his tweet.

The ruggedized dish can withstand rocket landings, according to Starlink website. It also bears a small footprint, demands minimal above deck space and comes with an easy-to-install mount, the website further said.

The only thing needed to use the internet on high seas is "an unobstructed view of the sky," said Starlink.

The company has launched a constellation of around 2,000 satellites that can beam internet to 250,000 users.