Starlink Cuts Startup Cost By 50%

Starlink, the satellite internet company operated by SpaceX and run by Elon Musk, is offering over 50% off standard hardware installation in Canada. Our recent review found that the company has fast download speeds and ranked it four-out-of-five stars.

The discount cuts the hardware cost for Canadian customers to $350, down from $759 originally. The limited-time offer is for hardware only and is available when you sign up for Starlink service. The offer is good for Residential and Roam service with Starlink but is not applicable for waitlisted areas.

Starlink’s hardware kit includes the antenna, base, cables, and router. The Starlink app walks you through the setup and configuring of your network, usually in under 10 minutes.

While getting 50% off is a great start, Starlink service is still expensive in Canada. Customers must pay $350 for hardware, $140 monthly for internet service, and a $129 deposit. That doesn’t include shipping, handling, and taxes too.

That’s over $400 before the first monthly payment.

In fact, the high upfront cost is one of the main things we call out in our review as something that Starlink could improve.

Is Starlink a good internet service provider?

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We think so.

Starlink beats or matches competitors like Explore, Execlink, and SaskTel, but that doesn’t mean it’s better. In fact, Starlink is more expensive than rural internet provider Xplore, but Starlink also has much faster speeds. Meanwhile, Execulink has super-fast speeds but is only available in Ontario. SaskTel has a high upfront cost with varied speeds, but it’s only available in Saskatchewan.

Starlink internet speed is comparable to most other internet plans. Users report download speeds between 50 and 150Mbps. However, it is slower than Bell’s Gigabit Fibe 8.0 plan and Telus’ PureFibre Gigabit Internet plan, both of which exceed 900Mbps download speeds.

Although users have reported issues during snowstorms and heavy rain, the Starlink dish works in bad weather.

Since Starlink has focused on helping rural communities first, all of Canada’s northern wilderness has interest access through Starlink. In fact, the student internet connection proposal for the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation used Starlink.

Only a few areas in Canada do not currently have Starlink service; most are part of larger metropolitan areas, including Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, and Edmonton. All of those areas are anticipating Starlink coverage in late 2023.

Satellite internet from Starlink is better than most other options because it has fast and reliable speeds. With over 3,500 satellites, the company can blanket vast regions and provide coverage in areas where a fibre connection may be impossible. With over a million customers and services in fifty countries, the company is expanding.