Starlink Mini is now available | Hacker News Reader

Starlink Mini is now available

starlink.com

$50 for 50GB seems like a fair offer for the US market, especially given the possibility of coverage in remote locations.

But keep in mind that US market is unique, as it's extremely overpriced with very poor quality/coverage. Looks like average price in the US is $6.00/GB. Compare this to countries like Israel ($0.02/GB) or Colombia ($0.20/GB). Whenever I travel, I usually have a better coverage and faster connection in a jungle than downtown SF.

> Looks like average price in the US is $6.00/GB.

Are data allowances common in the USA for terrestrial data?

In New Zealand >87% of the population can get 1gb connection for $61 USD with no data cap (and no long term contract, cheaper if you find a deal).

One ISP (or brand) is offering a 10gb connection for $40 USD on a 24 month contract. >1g limited to a a small number of cities as far as I know.

Our mobile internet costs a fortune, costing for example the cheapest non-prepaid plan from the largest telco is $27.50 USD for 4.5gb of data.

This product is wireless and aimed at RVs and similar, so you'd have to compare it with mobile (as I'm pretty sure the parent comment did, too).

It's competitors would be mobile G4/G5 Routers and Satellite internet

For mobile - I currently pay $330 NZD for 2 phones for 15GB/mo which turns out to be $8.4 USD per month. You do have to be look out for such deal tho (Kogan Mobile).

Deprioritised starlink is $80 nzd / month which is cheaper than fiber or vdsl and on par with "unlimited" 4G/5G.

Mini is quite good option for boating (campsites usually are well connected here) provided it can cope with swell like bigger dishes do.

Edit: Strange they haven't integrated WiFi HaLow yet since it's primary target is rural customers who would benefit a ton from 1km radius signal...

I too often have a better connection in rural America than downtown.

Rural America is largely free of interference. Even if you have a weak signal, the tower and your phone can hear each other very clearly. In a downtown, it gets messy.

Is that interference or congestion?

So, equipment price $500.

Cheapest unlimited, $120/mo.

Then "Mobile Regional", $150/mo.

I cannot find out what "regional" means, what the limitations would be.

Anyhow, it seems like a fair offer

I think "regional" means continental. So if you get a regional plan in North America, it won't work in Europe.

It sounds like a fair deal in that you pay for the service and they provide the service. The economics of it will depend wildly on use case. I am getting internet thru Calyx Institute[1]. About $500 set up and $35/month (supposedly unlimited mobile 4G). Should work most everywhere there are people but only those places that also have cell coverage.

[1] https://calyxinstitute.org

Starlink regions: https://api.starlink.com/public-files/Mobile_Service_Regions...

$50 for 50 GB is a touch steep but that plan does allow usage in-motion. I saw a YouTuber in a plane use it up to 100 MPH.

You can get "unlimited" for $150/mo but then they talk about "Mobile Priority". Their pricing page is kind of a mess to be honest.

Do you have to stop and set it up or can you use it from your backpack like the image shows?

It has to be pointed at the sky and plugged into power.

The image does not show it being used, nor does it show the average-draw 25 W power source.

I think that image just shows it being transported, not being used.

I wouldn't want to carry an active phased array on my back either by the way.

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