Satellite Internet
Starlink Mini backpack terminal design, speed test and price information emerges
SpaceX is yet to announce the Starlink Mini satellite internet dish for customers but new information showcased this small backpack-compatible size and speed test.
X user @olegkutkov has shared renders and a few specs of the new terminal on the social media site. Kutkov wrote that the new dish has built-in WiFi and expands at 28.9 cm in height and 24.8 cm in width. It converts to 11.4 inches in height and 9.8 inches in width for the dish compared to a standard dish with 23.4 inches and 15.07 inches respectively.
That’s a drastic reduction for this portable Starlink, which aligns with the iPad Pro 13-inch featuring 11.09-inch height and 8.48-inch width. This progress in size makes it compatible to carry in a backpack instead of placing it in a separate bag. It’s like a go-to solution and a mobile setup.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX said he is also using Starlink Mini for internet access and it takes about 5 minutes to set up. Musk also talked about the price of this new device which could be half of what standard dish to buy.
The standard terminal in the U.S. is priced at $499 but recently discounted the price to $299 for 28 states where the network has excess capacity. That being said, the Starlink Mini might be around $250 as an introductory hardware cost. And an identical reduction could be made to the monthly subscription service.
Its pre-release speed test shows that the dish can stream 4k videos with 23 ms latency and up to 100 Mbps download and 11.5Mbps upload.
Starlink Mini will rollout gradually to selected areas in the coming months. SpaceX previously announced that Starlink surpassed a 3 million user base. With its cost-cut, the new Mini terminal may become a major success for the satellite service company.