SpaceX to keep Starlink pricing simple, exit beta when network is “reliable”

Enlarge / SpaceX Starlink logo. (credit: Getty Images | SOPA Images )

The Starlink broadband network will probably stick with one price instead of offering different tiers of service, SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell said yesterday.

“I don’t think we’re going to do tiered pricing to consumers. We’re going to try to keep it as simple as possible and transparent as possible, so right now there are no plans to tier for consumers,” Shotwell said, according to a CNBC article. Shotwell spoke during a panel discussion at the Satellite 2021 conference.

SpaceX has been charging $99 a month for the Starlink beta service, plus $499 upfront for the user terminal/satellite dish, mounting tripod, and router. Other satellite and terrestrial broadband services typically charge different prices for different speeds, and many of them impose a data cap and charge extra fees to those who exceed the limit.