SpaceX's internet satellite service Starlink has introduced a new paid add-on feature that allows its customers to move their service to different locations temporarily.
Customers can move the service anywhere within the same continent as their permanent service address that is currently served by satellite availability. The add-on feature will cost an additional $25 per month for users in the United States.
Starlink's Portability Feature
To be able to take advantage of this new feature, customers will need to move their Starlink dish and connectivity hardware around, according to TechCrunch.
However, this may not be easy for some as they need to go to elaborate lengths to get their dish mounted with a clear eyeliner to the sky without any tree cover.
The $25 additional cost also means that Starlink's total price creeps up even higher, which could be too much for some customers since the monthly fee of the Starlink service increased to $110 per month in March.
For those who want Starlink's regular service and the ability to hop in the RV and set up with a high-speed internet connection wherever they fall within the coverage zones and have a decently clear view of the sky, they will have to pay $135 per month.
On the other hand, Starlink offers the flexibility and reach that traditional internet providers and several mobile network operators just can't.
Within the service addition, Starlink is the internet option for choice for digital nomads more than ever. The new feature may usher in an era of software engineers roving the country from state to state in a fleet of RVs and mobile homes.
Starlink's 150,000 Satellites in Ukraine
Aside from adding a portability feature, the SpaceX internet service also launched 150,000 satellites for the people in Ukraine who couldn't get internet service since the war.
According to TechTimes, SpaceX continues to expand the satellite internet network in besieged Ukraine, with a government official saying about 15,000 people in the country use the service every day.
Ukraine's Digital Minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, said that rough data about Starlink shows there are around 150,000 daily active users. He added that this is a crucial support for Ukraine's infrastructure and restoring the destroyed territories.
Starlink's network of 2,000 satellites in low Earth orbit is designed to deliver high-speed internet anywhere. SpaceX stated that in March, there were about 250,000 Starlink subscribers, which includes both consumers and enterprise customers.
Notably, the daily active user count is different compared to the number of subscribers or Starlink terminals in Ukraine, as several users would be able to connect to each terminal.
There are more than 10,000 Starlink terminals, also called antenna or dishes, providing service to Ukraine, according to NBC News.
Back in April, the United States Agency for International Development or USAID told CNBC that a range of stakeholders contributed more than $15 million worth in hardware and transportation services to deliver 5,000 Starlink terminals to Ukraine, with USAID directly procuring 1,333 terminals from SpaceX.
Right after Russia invaded Ukraine, the Ukrainian government sent a plea for assistance after a suspected cyberattack disrupted the country's satellite internet service.
Related Article: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Tweets Starlink Internet Open Beta Phase to Come Next Month
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Written by Sophie Webster
