Starlink tops 400k subs
May 26, 2022
By Chris Forrester
SpaceX has told the FCC that its Starlink broadband satellite system has more than 400,000 subscribers around the world.
This is a significant increase on its position at the end of March when the subscriber number was around 250,000 and at the start of the year its – then mostly Beta users – totalled about 145,000.
At 400,000 subscribers Starlink’s gross revenues are already at $528,000,000 per annum.
Currently Starlink is operating over about 36 countries and intends extending services to most of Asia, Africa and the Mid-East in the upcoming months.
Users now pay an upfront fee of $599 for the dish and modem equipment and then $110 (or equivalent) per month for their core subscription. There is a Premium service for higher-demand users at $500 per month after paying $2500 in upfront charges for equipment.
However, China is reportedly looking to develop anti-satellite devices deliberately to target Starlink craft. According to a paper published last month, China needs to develop anti-satellite capabilities, including a surveillance system with unprecedented scale and sensitivity to track and monitor every Starlink satellite.