[Starlink] How Far Can Starlink Go? Growth for SpaceX's Satellite Internet Slows in the US

[the keyboard of geoff goodfellow <geoff@iconia.com>]

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*Starlink's customer base in the US tops 1.4 million, but that's a marginal
increase from the 1.3 million SpaceX reported in December.*
EXCERPT:

The US is Starlink's biggest market, but customer growth in the country
appears to have slowed in recent months.

This week, SpaceX told the FCC that it now had “over 1.4 million Starlink
customers in the United States.” That's a relatively minor increase from
December when SpaceX told the FCC it had "more than 1.3 million" Starlink
customers in the US. "This growth is not slowing," the company told the US
regulator at the time.

It's hard to say what has changed. SpaceX didn’t respond to a request for
comment, but the numbers raise questions over whether Starlink might have
tapped the US market dry.

“Clearly, growth has slowed in the US, even while accelerating in other
countries,” says satellite industry consultant Tim Farrar. “But the US
remains by far the most important country for Starlink’s revenues,
especially as the $120 monthly fee is higher than elsewhere.”

Since its debut in 2020, SpaceX’s satellite internet system has received
rave reviews for its ability to deliver high-speed broadband to areas
without access to reliable internet. It’s made Starlink a favorite among
users in rural and remote areas. But the technology can be largely
redundant for people living in cities or suburbs, which already have access
to fiber networks.

To spur growth, SpaceX has been rolling out a variety of deals and
discounts throughout this year to entice more consumers in the US to sign
up for Starlink. This week, the company took its most aggressive approach
yet, discounting the standard Starlink V4 dish nationwide from $499 to $299
in a promotion that’ll last for the next two months.

In addition, the company has mentioned offering a “Family Plan” for
Starlink that could convince existing subscribers to spend more once the
program rolls out. However, Farrar said SpaceX would need to drop the total
cost for Starlink even more—including reducing the $120 monthly internet
fee for residential users—if it wants to bring in more US customers...

[...]
https://www.pcmag.com/news/how-far-can-starlink-go-growth-for-spacexs-satellite-internet-slows-in




-- 
Geoff.Goodfellow@iconia.com
living as The Truth is True

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