How much does it cost to get satellite internet from Elon Musk’s company if you want to spend your summer on a yacht

Those who want to subscribe to Starlink in the UK will have to fork out a pretty hefty sum. The price of the hardware, which consists of an antenna, related cables and the box that converts the satellite signal into Wi-Fi or a cable connection, is 3,200 lei. In addition to the “entry” fee, a monthly subscription of 529 lei will also be payable. But this will all seem like bargains when you find out how much you have to pay to enjoy all the convenience of broadband internet access while travelling. For example, at sea or on the ocean, using your luxury boat or yacht.

The problem wouldn’t be that accessing the Starlink network involves expensive hardware, or other facilities that ordinary users don’t even need. We’re actually dealing with a pure marketing strategy, based on the notion that internet access from a fixed location can easily be considered a basic necessity, but not from an airplane, or from the sea.

Provided with tripod-equipped antennas that can be placed anywhere there is unobstructed visibility to the sky, the Starlink Maritime service comes with a $10,000 fee for the installation of two pieces of receiving equipment designed to ensure continuity and stability of connection, regardless of weather conditions. Then the monthly subscription is $5000 per month, 45 times more than for a fixed internet subscription over the Starlink network.

Starlink Maritime allows you to connect from some of the most remote waters in the world → https://t.co/Qa48wiYN5f pic.twitter.com/Vd3Bli6id2

– SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 7, 2022

For all that expense, Elon Musk’s company’s premium customers get 350 Mbps download speed, guaranteed within the technical possibilities allowed by weather conditions and available coverage in that location. Among the “variables” that the dual-antenna receiving equipment is trying to address are oscillations caused by sea waves, or adverse weather conditions, with the SpaceX developer describing the technical solution offered as the most advanced possible.

Not only that, fast and secure Internet access can also be considered a safe investment for deep-pocketed adventurers and companies whose ships regularly cross the world’s oceans. For example, Starlink access could help the crews of cargo ships or oil tankers feel less isolated from the rest of the world while they watch their favorite movies on Netflix or use high-resolution video calls to spend time with family members thousands of miles away.

By comparison, the Starlink subscription with a kit installed on a commonplace vacation trailer is just $135.