A dark cloud has been hanging over Starlink antennas lately. Cruisers around the world have been bypassing the $5,000 per month maritime version of Elon Musk’s new satellite internet system and instead have been enjoying great success with the $150 per month RV version of the system. The inexpensive service with its smaller antenna wasn’t supposed to work on boats, especially offshore, and these boatowners were operating their equipment in violation of their contract. Sooner or later, the smart people at Starlink surely were going to notice this pattern and force these sailors into the dramatically more expensive maritime equipment and contract.
Well, Starlink did notice these boats, and the company’s recent action has been met with great relief. For a moderate uptick in subscription fees, sailors can continue to use the Starlink equipment they already have anywhere on earth including the oceans.
My wife, Alex, and I live aboard
