Starlink Mini is a $299 dish that provides 100Mbps WiFi 6 internet from a tiny box

zohaibahd

zohaibahd

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Why it matters: If you've been holding out on signing up for Starlink's satellite internet service because of the bulky dish or high price tag, you'll want to pay attention to their latest innovation. SpaceX has just unveiled the Starlink Mini – a compact, travel-friendly dish that could make portable internet access a reality for more people than ever.

Details started trickling out over the weekend after some official images of the tiny dish were released on social media. Ukrainian engineer Oleg Kutkov posted the pictures and shared internal documents from Starlink Mini's recent FCC certification. Shortly after, a surprise tweet from Elon Musk really got people's attention.

Responding to a quoted post, the SpaceX CEO bragged that he had "just set [the dish] up right now" and that the process only took about 5 minutes. He also included a screenshot showing fast 100Mbps download speeds and stellar 23ms latency – low enough for seamless cloud gaming.

As the FCC documents revealed, those are some impressive figures for something that measures 11.4 x 9.8 inches, around the same size as a small laptop. It's also less than half the size of Starlink's original 23-inch dish. And while there's no word on the exact weight, it was undoubtedly designed for portability.

Starlink Mini supports the latest WiFi 6 standard on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, 3x3 MIMO, and 802.11ax for enhanced speeds and range. There's also an ethernet port if you'd prefer a hardwired connection.

The real game-changer is the price point. While the current Starlink kit runs $599 for new customers, Musk says the Mini will cost "about half" as much – so likely $299 or less. That makes Starlink a much more viable option for households on a budget or anyone looking for a portable internet solution when traveling, camping, or working remotely.

Unfortunately, the Mini sacrifices a bit of performance compared to the full-sized dish. The 100Mbps speeds that Musk showed off are still fast enough for HD streaming, video calls, and casual gaming. However, it's a notable step down from the 200+ Mbps you can get with the original Starlink kit.

Musk didn't mention when Starlink Mini would hit the market. However, Kutkov speculated that it might arrive in a month or two.

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Starlink Mini is a $299 dish that provides 100Mbps WiFi 6 internet from a tiny box

 
Where I live in the PNW of the USA, starlink is amazing. You can be deep in Mt Rainier national park, miles away from cell service in absolute paradise and get online, stream 4K video etc in your RV.

It is expensive but the competition was more expensive before starlink came along. The competition offer worse speeds and latency so they have to charge less.
 
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ZedRM said:
What, $110per month is too much for you?
Click to expand...
I think it is overpriced as well. Considering my fiber 1 gig download and 1 gig upload is 65 dollars before taxes this is over priced. I think it should be around 80 at max considering the slower speeds but it is still portable.
 
Uncle Al said:
Yeah, the kit might be cheaper but the service is WAY over priced ....
Click to expand...
I agree with you. Even though I can easily afford it I think it is overpriced for the speed. The upload speed on it is quite poor. My fiber is 1 gig up and down is only 65 before tax. I know this is mobile but yeah it should be less than this considering the slow speeds.
 
I am not saying this is a great solution for your everyday person at home, but any time you are going to be away from landline and/or quality 5G cell service, then this is the only true data service option at a reasonable price, especially if you are mobile.

We use Starlink at work when testing at remote sites, and it is a godsend for that use case. It works great and we've had 10-20 people connected to it with out any noticeable degradation in service. The price may not be cheap, but it is very good for the quality you get. In the past we just did without, but Starlink has now made this a viable and compelling solution for us. One thing you should know is that you can just pay for the month that you want to use it. If you are only RV/camping during the summer, then you can turn off the service for the other 9 months.

I do have reservations about the concept of Starlink and the 6,000 mini-sats that are required to make it work, but given that it already exists it is a viable option when it is needed.

 
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Jrfeimst2 said:
I agree with you. Even though I can easily afford it I think it is overpriced for the speed. The upload speed on it is quite poor. My fiber is 1 gig up and down is only 65 before tax. I know this is mobile but yeah it should be less than this considering the slow speeds.
Click to expand...
What do people not understand about that this isn't a home internet solution for people who have access to a wired connection?

This is for people in rural areas without access to broadband or for people on the go in yachts and RVs.

I would love to see someone get a fiber optic line run to their boat. Camp ground wifi is usually terrible. Want to take your RV out to Colorado for a few weeks? Then you can probably afford ~$100/m for starlink @100Mbps instead of sharing wifi with 300 other people on a camp ground.

Starlink is a solution to a problem, not an alternative to wired connections.
 
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Starlink Mini sounds awesome! Tiny satellite dish for super fast internet on the go for only $299? Sign me up! 100Mbps is plenty for most things, and the portability is a game changer. Forget lugging around hotspot devices, this could be a total lifesaver for remote workers and campers. Sure, it sacrifices some speed compared to the original Starlink, but the trade-off for size and price seems totally worth it.
 
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Jrfeimst2 said:
I think it is overpriced as well. Considering my fiber 1 gig download and 1 gig upload is 65 dollars before taxes this is over priced. I think it should be around 80 at max considering the slower speeds but it is still portable.
Click to expand...
Yes but that's for your HOME. This is a completely portable satellite internet connection. Additionally, if you live in a rural area where Cable/DSL are unavailable or way over-priced, this along with the normal Starlink options are an exceptional value.

100Mbps totally portable? Yes please and thank you!
 
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For people in developed countries, it is overpriced, but for people in southern Africa like my country, that is a gift because not even one telecommunication company can reach 200Mbps per second.
 
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manowar51 said:
Where I live in the PNW of the USA, starlink is amazing. You can be deep in Mt Rainier national park, miles away from cell service in absolute paradise and get online, stream 4K video etc in your RV.

It is expensive but the competition was more expensive before starlink came along. The competition offer worse speeds and latency so they have to charge less.
Click to expand...
This is also the end of hopes for someone who wants to treat their internet addiction.
 
ZedRM said:
What, $110per month is too much for you?
Click to expand...

Idk for him, but for me yeah. I pay 15 bucks for 900Mbps net. I know it's optic cable net and all.. but still. I also think it ain't cheap for my country, where lawyers and doctors make 400-1300 euro tops. If I was in the US? Yea, this is a joke of a price and probably totally worth it. This part of Europe tho? The price is a real joke, but for another reason. Overpriced reason.
 
Starfals said:
Idk for him, but for me yeah. I pay 15 bucks for 900Mbps net. The price is a real joke, but for another reason. Overpriced reason.
Click to expand...
You actually pay quite a bit more than that. But your statist system hides most of the cost you pay through indirectly subsidizing the system. And regardless, you're attempting to compare mobile Internet to your fixed installed cable, which is rather like comparing the cost of an RV to a wooden shed.

So yes, there's a "real joke" here, but not the one you think.
 
zohaibahd said:
Why it matters: If you've been holding out on signing up for Starlink's satellite internet service because of the bulky dish or high price tag, you'll want to pay attention to their latest innovation. SpaceX has just unveiled the Starlink Mini – a compact, travel-friendly dish that could make portable internet access a reality for more people than ever.

Details started trickling out over the weekend after some official images of the tiny dish were released on social media. Ukrainian engineer Oleg Kutkov posted the pictures and shared internal documents from Starlink Mini's recent FCC certification. Shortly after, a surprise tweet from Elon Musk really got people's attention.

Responding to a quoted post, the SpaceX CEO bragged that he had "just set [the dish] up right now" and that the process only took about 5 minutes. He also included a screenshot showing fast 100Mbps download speeds and stellar 23ms latency – low enough for seamless cloud gaming.

As the FCC documents revealed, those are some impressive figures for something that measures 11.4 x 9.8 inches, around the same size as a small laptop. It's also less than half the size of Starlink's original 23-inch dish. And while there's no word on the exact weight, it was undoubtedly designed for portability.

Starlink Mini supports the latest WiFi 6 standard on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, 3x3 MIMO, and 802.11ax for enhanced speeds and range. There's also an ethernet port if you'd prefer a hardwired connection.

The real game-changer is the price point. While the current Starlink kit runs $599 for new customers, Musk says the Mini will cost "about half" as much – so likely $299 or less. That makes Starlink a much more viable option for households on a budget or anyone looking for a portable internet solution when traveling, camping, or working remotely.

Unfortunately, the Mini sacrifices a bit of performance compared to the full-sized dish. The 100Mbps speeds that Musk showed off are still fast enough for HD streaming, video calls, and casual gaming. However, it's a notable step down from the 200+ Mbps you can get with the original Starlink kit.

Musk didn't mention when Starlink Mini would hit the market. However, Kutkov speculated that it might arrive in a month or two.

Permalink to story:

Starlink Mini is a $299 dish that provides 100Mbps WiFi 6 internet from a tiny box

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It might be helpful if service price can be reduced!
 
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