Starlink Mini brings space internet to backpackers

SpaceX’s Starlink internet-from-space work is already disposable for boats, planes, vanlifers, Amazonian villages, and agrarian homes successful implicit 75 countries — present it’s coming to backpackers.

The caller compact DC-powered Starlink Mini is astir the size of a heavy laptop and integrates the Wi-Fi router close wrong the dish. And contempt utilizing little powerfulness than different Starlink terminals, it tin inactive present speeds up to 100Mbps.

Notably, the Mini kit consumes an mean of conscionable 20-40W compared to the 33-62W we measured conscionable 2 years ago with a Standard Actuated crockery and abstracted Wi-Fi router. That means you tin powerfulness the Mini crockery for 2 to 3 hours from thing similar an Anker Prime 27,650mAh (99.54Wh) powerfulness bank, oregon a small implicit an hr with smaller 10,000mAh (40Wh) portable batteries you astir apt already person laying about. It requires a USB-C PD powerfulness root with a minimum standing of 100W (20V/5A). 

The Mini crockery measures 11.75 x 10.2 x 1.45 inches (259 x 259 x 38.5mm) and weighs conscionable 2.43 pounds (1.1kg), oregon 3.37 pounds (1.53kg) with the 49.2 ft (15m) DC powerfulness cablegram and kickstand. It has an IP67 standing meaning it’s protected from particulate and rain, including abbreviated periods of h2o immersion.

In the US, the Mini kit costs $599 which is $100 much than the modular dish, and volition outgo an other $30 per period for the Mini Roam work add-on to existing $120 Residential plans. That gives Starlink Mini users up to 50GB of mobile information each month, with the enactment to acquisition much for $1 per GB, according to early-access invitations sent to immoderate exiting Starlink customers successful the US. 

While Starlink Mini is caller to the US, a Starlink enactment page says it’s already disposable successful Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Panama wherever it tin beryllium purchased with Mini Service oregon Mobile - Regional Service plans. In those countries, there’s nary information oregon velocity caps to usage Mini, and in-motion and water usage is not allowed. SpaceX says it’ll grow to much markets implicit time.

“Our extremity is to trim the terms of Starlink, particularly for those astir the satellite wherever connectivity has been unaffordable oregon wholly unavailable,” reads the Starlink enactment page. “In regions with precocious usage, similar the US, wherever Starlink Mini places further request connected the outer network, we are offering a constricted fig of the Starlink Mini Kits to commencement astatine a higher terms point.”