Starlink Premium: SpaceX introduces faster internet tier, more weather-resistant terminal… for $2,500 + $500 a month

On February 1, 2022, the Starlink website was updated to include a new, higher-performance tier: Starlink Premium. This is the first time SpaceX has added options for different tiers on its satellite internet service, previously there was only a single offering for Starlink.

Update: Starlink Premium was renamed to Starlink Business on March 19, 2022.

On the site, SpaceX describes Starlink Premium as follows:

Starlink Premium has more than double the antenna capability of Starlink, delivering faster internet speeds and higher throughput for the highest demand users, including businesses. Order now to reserve, deliveries start in Q2 2022.

The user terminal itself looks very similar to the existing, updated terminal, but perhaps slightly more square than rectangular, and it features improved resistance to extreme weather conditions. This clearly seems to be the high-performance terminal SpaceX previously applied with the FCC to operate.

Starlink Premium is designed for improved performance in extreme weather conditions. Users will also benefit from 24/7, prioritized support.

Starlink already had a somewhat significant upfront cost, with a $500 deposit required and a monthly cost of $100. This was costly, but honestly quite reasonable for many, especially as many users would be limited to other low-speed, costly satellite internet options without it. This tier is certainly not for the average user.

After a $500 deposit, the service will cost $2,500 for the hardware and $500 per month for the service. This is a steep price to pay, but could still be worth it in some select situations, as clearly this is business/enterprise-oriented.

The pictures on the site also show an updated router. Hopefully, this larger router will include the ethernet port (or better, ethernet ports) that was removed from the consumer version of the terminal.

The specifications page estimates download speeds of 150-500Mbps and upload speeds of 20-40Mbps with Starlink Premium. By comparison, the company estimates 50-250Mbps download speeds and 10-20Mbps upload speeds with the Standard service.

Reservations for the service are open now, and SpaceX makes it easy to order multiple terminals for multiple addresses. According to SpaceX, deliveries for Starlink Premium start Q2 2022.