Elon Musk’s SpaceX charging $99 a month for spotty Starlink internet data speeds ranging from 50 to 150 megabits per second

SpaceX is offering its Starlink broadband satellite internet service to test users for $99 a month, plus $499 for a setup kit, according to emails seen by Reuters, as Elon Musk’s space company pushes to offer fast internet speeds to rural customers with limited options.
People in states like Washington, Wisconsin and Idaho who signed up to test Starlink internet received invitations from SpaceX Monday night to join its “Better Than Nothing Beta” test.
SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment.
SpaceX has launched to orbit more than 800 satellites of the several thousand needed to offer broadband internet globally, a $10 billion investment it estimates could generate $30 billion annually to help fund Musk’s interplanetary rocket program dubbed Starship.
The Starlink Beta program comes as rivals like OneWeb, the collapsed satellite operator rescued by the British government, India’s Bharti Group and Jeff Bezos’ Amazon AMZN.O set out to offer their own broadband satellite networks.
“As you can tell from the title, we are trying to lower your initial expectations,” read the SpaceX email. “Expect to see data speeds vary from 50Mb/s to 150Mb/s and latency from 20ms to 40ms over the next several months as we enhance the Starlink system,” the email said, speeds that would download a full-length movie in 30 minutes to over an hour.
“There will also be brief periods of no connectivity at all,” the email added.
One user Reuters spoke with paid $578 for the Starlink kit, including shipping and handling, and cited a SpaceX note saying they “can send everything back for a 75% refund” if they’re unhappy with the service.
Global communications company ViaSat offers rural internet with speeds of up to 50Mb/s for roughly $170 per month, according to its website.
A rural school in Texas, Washington state’s emergency agency and the rural Hoh Indian Tribe on Washington’s Pacific Coast have been early testers of the service in recent months, free of charge.
A company official has told Reuters the company plans to take the satellite internet business public, but not for several years.
Source: Reuters by Joey Roulette; Editing by Greg Mitchell and Jonathan Oatis
Related News.
September 28, 2026
Steel flows face fresh challenges in the final quarter of 2026
Steel flows slip into negative growth in July 2026 Global steel flows fall 1% y/y in July 2026 to reach 22.2 Mt. China’s share of global steel…
September 28, 2026
Insurance must shift “from repair to prevention”, says IUMI
Marine insurers will need to place greater emphasis on loss prevention as risks become more complex and costly to insure, according to Pascal Dubois,…
September 28, 2026
BIMCO’s Container Shipping Market Overview & Outlook September 2026 is out
Container Shipping Market Overview & Outlook Supply pressure is mounting "Disruptions and strong growth in head-haul trades continue to support…
September 28, 2026
New Baltic Handysize futures contracts now listed on SGX and EEX
Baltic Exchange announced that both SGX and European Energy Exchange (EEX) are now offering new Baltic Handysize futures contracts, providing market…
September 28, 2026
IUMI discusses greater focus on freight forwarding liability insurance
At its annual conference in Rotterdam today, the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) discussed whether freight forwarding liability…
Technical,Technical newsletter
September 28, 2026
Dijvler enters sea-going vessel market with new winch programme and multiple orders
Dutch manufacturer acquires C-Nautical designs and certifications, bringing back a European alternative, proven by its first contracts with Damen and…
Technical,Technical newsletter
September 28, 2026
Trelleborg showcases complementary industrial hose and sealing solutions for manufacturing at Alihankinta
Trelleborg presents a combined showcase of industrial hose and sealing solutions for manufacturing at Alihankinta 2026. Visitors can meet experts…
Technical,Technical newsletter
September 28, 2026
Accelleron secures projects involving more than 100 ACCX300-L turbochargers
More than 100 turbochargers selected in the first four months following commercial launch ACCX300-L included in major two-stroke engine designers'…
Technical,Technical newsletter
September 28, 2026
DFO SELECTS VARD TO DELIVER NEXT-GENERATION COMMISSIONING SERVICE OPERATION VESSEL
VARD, one of the world’s leading designers and shipbuilders of specialized vessels and part of the Fincantieri Group, is proud to announce a new…
Technical,Technical newsletter
September 28, 2026
Van Oord unveils names of next-generation flexible fallpipe vessels
During WindEnergy Hamburg, Van Oord officially revealed the names of its two next-generation flexible fallpipe vessels: Vindnes and Vestnes.…
Subscribe to our newsletter!
if you dont want to swim alone in the ocean of news, sign up for the newsletter, and you will receive daily all the important news of world shipping!
Design & Development by P.KAN.DESIGNER
© 2026 Cyprus Shipping News. All rights reserved
Design & Development by P.KAN.DESIGNER
© 2026 Cyprus Shipping News. All rights reserved






















