SpaceX’s Starlink has quietly introduced a new monthly fee for its satellite internet hardware, adding to recent price increases that have already surprised customers in several markets.
New customers ordering Starlink service are now being charged an additional A$15 per month for the hardware kit, according to the company’s ordering page.
The fee appears to apply only to new orders, with existing subscribers unaffected for now, as per user reports. It remains unclear whether the A$15 monthly charge will eventually be extended to all customers or remain limited to new subscribers.
The change was introduced without a public announcement from Starlink.
Previously, Starlink had been providing hardware to eligible customers at no upfront cost, provided the equipment was returned if service was cancelled. Under the new arrangement, customers continue to receive the hardware with no upfront purchse, but now incur an additional monthly charge.
The new charge comes just weeks after Starlink increased subscription prices.
The increases affect Residential and Roam plans, as well as the company’s Standby Mode feature, according to customer notices and updated pricing.
In Australia, monthly fees for most plans and services have risen by between A$5 and A$11. The Residential 100 Mbps plan increased from A$69 to A$75, while the 200 Mbps plan rose from A$99 to A$110. The Residential Max plan climbed to A$150 from A$139.
Roaming plans also saw hikes, with the 100GB option increasing to about A$85 per month and the unlimited plan to A$210.
Starlink said those earlier price rises were necessary to support continued investment in network capacity, coverage and reliability.
The move may prove controversial among users who had expected Starlink pricing to become more competitive as rivals such as Amazon’s Project Kuiper prepare to enter the low-Earth orbit satellite broadband market.
Instead, customers are now facing both higher subscription costs and an ongoing fee for the hardware required to access the service.
The new charge also comes as Elon Musk-owned SpaceX prepares to list on the Nasdaq on Friday in what could become one of the largest initial public offerings on record. The company is expected to be valued at about US$1.75 trillion after raising up to US$75 billion, with investor demand reportedly exceeding available shares several times over.
