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A comment on SpaceX Starlink is now its own ASN and present at the Seattle Internet Exchange. Parent comment

Re:SpaceX Starlink is now its own ASN and present at the Sea... by alehul on Thursday June 04, 2020 @09:44AM (#23416440)
> The user antennas are likely to be quite expensive at first (several thousand dollars). Cost reduction of the user antennas is the biggest hurdle Starlink currently faces. Nobody knows yet how much SpaceX will charge for the antenna or service.

Considering the pay-over-time model that SolarCity implemented, should we not expect the same here? Assuming the user antenna can be removed, it can be rented, just like a modem or router.

Relying on the antennas having a long ‘useful life’, it may not be too prohibitive if rented out.

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Re:SpaceX Starlink is now its own ASN and present at the Sea... by walrus01 on Thursday June 04, 2020 @02:40PM (#23420192)
The hardware for existing geostationary consumer-grade (cheap, sub $150/month service) Ku and Ka-band VSAT terminals, for use in really remote locations in the USA, is about a $800 to $1200 cost. It's absorbed into 24/36 month contract terms.

People who live in a really remote plate and sign up for a 24 month term for some barely-usable VSAT service are usually disappointed to find out how firmly they're locked into the contract, when somebody builds a WISP in their area.

I would not be surprised if there's a terminal rental charge or 12/24/36 month contract terms offered.

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Re:SpaceX Starlink is now its own ASN and present at the Sea... by itsoktocry on Thursday June 04, 2020 @09:54AM (#23416548)
>Considering the pay-over-time model that SolarCity implemented, should we not expect the same here?

Considering the pay-over-time model essentially bankrupted SolarCity, forcing Tesla to buy them out, for which Tesla are being sued by shareholders...I'm not sure that's the model to resurrect.

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