SpaceX is rolling out a small, portable “Starlink Mini” version of its terminal designed for on-the-go use. The device is a smaller version of the dish that works with Startlink LEO satellite broadband service.
The portable kit includes the dish/terminal, kickstand, DC power cable, power supply and an integrated WiFi router. In a post on X, SpaceX VP Starlink Engineering Michael Nicolls said SpaceX plans to increase production and offer the product soon in international markets, notes Via Satellite. In the photo above, Nicolls demonstrated the portable terminal’s size next to a Dachshund puppy.
Customers signing up for service will get slower speeds than they would with one of SpaceX’s conventional terminals, according to Telecompetitor. The company specifies speeds of 50-100 Mbps for the Starlink Mini service, compared to 150-250 Mbps for the standard service plan.
According to an email to Starlink customers shared on X, existing Starlink customers can bundle a Mini Roam service plan with their residential service for an extra $30 per month for 50 GB of mobile data. The terminal costs $599, which is more expensive than the standard $499 roam terminal, according to Via Satellite.
In the U.S., the product is available only to “a small group of customers” by invitation only, notes Telecompetitor. The primary target market includes countries where the cost of Starlink service is too high for a large percentage of citizens. Initial markets include Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Panama.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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