Satellite Internet is provided everywhere by Starlink mini – SpaceX

SpaceX’s satellite Internet access service is already available to ships, planes, caravans, Amazon villages and isolated rural homes in more than 75 countries. Now, it can even accompany hikers.

The new, compact Starlink Mini is about the size of a thick laptop and includes a Wi-Fi router in the satellite dish. In fact, although they consume less power than other Starlink stations, they can deliver speeds exceeding 100 Mbps.

“This product will change the world,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk claims, saying in a post that setting up the entire system took less than five minutes.

An important parameter is that the mini-array consumes an average of only 20-40 watts compared to 33-62 watts recorded in measurements two years ago using a standard operating dish and a separate Wi-Fi router. This means one can power the Mini Pad for two to three hours using a power bank like the 27,650 mAh Anker Prime, or for just over an hour using smaller 10,000 mAh portable batteries. Powered via USB-C PD with at least 100W (20V/5A).

The Starlink Mini satellite dish measures 29.85 x 25.9 cm and weighs just 1.1 kg, or 1.53 kg in the version with a power cable and 15 meter stand. It is IP67 certified which means it is protected from dust and rain while it can remain fully submerged in water for short periods of time.

In the US, Starlink Mini is available as an add-on to residential subscriptions, at least for now. The kit costs $599, which is $100 more than the standard dish, and there will be an additional $30 per month fee to add the Mini Roam service to the existing $120 subscription plans. So Starlink Mini users get up to 50GB of data each month, with the option to purchase more for $1 per GB, according to existing Starlink customers in the US who have been sent invitations to participate in a trial of the service.

Although Starlink Mini is a new service in the US, Starlink’s technical support page states that it is already available in Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Panama, where it can be obtained through local subscription packages. In these countries, there are no data or speed caps for using the service, and use on the move and at sea is prohibited. SpaceX aims to expand into more markets over time.

As a stand-alone service, Starlink Mini could be a game-changer for anyone who needs an affordable shared Internet access service that doesn’t require large or demanding power requirements. This category could include families relying on a makeshift solar generator for electricity, a platoon of soldiers trying to repel an invasion, or simply hikers and backpackers who prefer to take the road less traveled.