So you’ve been waiting patiently for uncle Elon to give you your Starlink internet access? You will have to wait until Starlink Premium, a far more expensive version of the internet-from-space service, rolls out first.

The original version of the service (which cost R1,500 to book) offered speeds of up to 150Mbps, beamed down from space by Starlink satellites dropped off by SpaceX rockets. The Premium version offers speeds of between 150Mbps and 500Mbps. But there’s obviously a bit of a financial catch.

Paying a premium for Starlink Premium

Starlink high performance antenna https://t.co/83kIQSNV3l

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 2, 2022

Did we say ‘bit’? We meant ‘absolutely massive’. The hardware required for 500Mbps of Elon Internet will set buyers back almost R40,000 ($2,500). After that, monthly payments for access come to R7,700. That’s $500 a month. And, in order to reserve your spot in line, you’ve also got to lay down almost eight grand.

But Starlink Premium units are expected to start shipping out from the second quarter of 2022 — so any time between April and June this year. These units may leapfrog over standard packages that were ordered months ago. There’s probably a reason for that. The fact that each package will make Starlink five times more cash per customer is a powerful incentive to get them out the door first.

It might be worth exploring, for the right sort of user, though. Going Premium “..helps ensure bandwidth for critical operations even during times of peak network usage”, according to the company. The new antenna apparently also offers improved performance even in “extreme weather conditions”. If you’re the sort of person who likes to live in the middle of nowhere and consume nothing less than 4K video, then Starlink Premium might just be for you. Okay, fine, you might also want to explore it as an option for a small business or something equally capitalist.

Source: Ars Technica