Laptop-Sized Starlink Dishes To Be Available In International Markets 'Soon,' Says Senior Exec

Smaller Starlink dishes that can fit in a backpack will not be limited to the U.S. but will also be available in international markets, SpaceX senior executive Michael Nicolls said on Thursday.

What Happened: SpaceX is ramping production of the smaller Starlink hardware, Nicolls said, while adding that it will be available in international markets “soon.” Nicolls is Vice President of Starlink Engineering at Elon Musk‘s SpaceX.

Musk’s False Promises On Mini Pricing: Earlier this month, Musk said that the Mini Starlink hardware will "change the world" and have "massive demand in lower-income parts of the world." He also said that the smaller dish would be priced at about half of the standard dish, hinting at a $250-$300 price point. The standard Starlink dish is now priced at just $499 in the U.S.

However, earlier this week, SpaceX started contacting Starlink customers in the U.S. inviting them to purchase the Mini Kit, priced at $599, much higher than Musk’s estimate. The company, however, said that it intends to eventually bring down the price of Starlink use, particularly in parts of the world where connectivity is unavailable.

"Our goal is to reduce the price of Starlink, especially for those around the world where connectivity has been unaffordable or completely unavailable. But in regions with high usage, where Starlink Mini places additional demand on the satellite network, we are offering a limited number of the Starlink Mini Kits to start for $599," the company said in the invite mail.

Why It Matters: According to details of the hardware posted on the Starlink website, the Mini dish measures 11.75 inches long and 10.2 inches wide, making it portable and easy to fit in a backpack given its roughly the size of a laptop.

Starlink is the satellite internet segment of Musk’s SpaceX. The service is now available across 100 countries, with the latest addition of Sierra Leone, providing connectivity to over 3 million customers.

Musk’s SpaceX was valued at $180 billion in a tender offer in December. The Starlink segment achieved a breakeven cash flow a month before, in November.

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