SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet system may introduce shared dishes to decrease expenses.
SpaceX is gearing up to introduce a new, affordable shared satellite internet service called Starlink Community. The program, which allows multiple subscribers to share a single Starlink dish while maintaining separate accounts, is expected to launch in the near future, although an official public launch date has not yet been announced as of early August 2025.
The Starlink Community monthly pass is set to cost around $60 per user, making it more affordable than existing individual plans such as the $80-per-month Residential Lite plan and the $120-per-month standard Residential plan. This pricing strategy is aimed at providing more competitive pricing for regions where SpaceX seeks to expand revenue, particularly markets outside the US and Canada.
In the Starlink Community model, one terminal is not tied to a single subscriber. Instead, users can connect via their own Wi-Fi routers to a shared dish. This setup reduces upfront hardware costs for each user and brings down the monthly subscription fee.
SpaceX has not yet officially commented on the Starlink Community program, but it has started signaling the program through a support page and communications with partners. The company is preparing for rollout primarily through a network of resellers and enterprise customers, with hosts who manage community dishes earning commissions per subscriber.
The Starlink Community plan was first spotted in Canada by Jianping Pan, a computer science professor at the University of Victoria. SpaceX has also delved deeper into the network's beam switching technology, which keeps terminals connected with partial obstructions, ensuring a seamless internet experience for each user.
While the exact public launch date remains unconfirmed, the main goal of Starlink Community is to drive growth by offering lower-cost internet access. This move is expected to expand SpaceX's customer base and contribute to its mission of bringing high-speed internet to areas with limited or no connectivity.
Stay tuned for more updates on the Starlink Community program as they become available.
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