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| Starlink opens doors to first refundable orders |
As SpaceX extends its pilot program to a limited number of users in each service area, SpaceX began accepting Starlink satellite internet services requests earlier this week.
Fans can now enter their home address and purchase an antenna router kit for $ 99, Starlink said, based on a first come first served location.
As stated on the website, the $ 99 deposit is fully refundable and can take 6 months or more.
Some sites on the site indicate that it will not be covered until the middle or second half of 2021, while some websites say 2022.
The complete Starlink kit costs $ 499 and includes a mountable antenna, wireless router, and power adapter.
SpaceX's expansion is based on 10,000 or so users who registered by invitation only during the trial period that began last year, with ongoing experimental cooperation with governments in the United States.
SpaceX has also obtained regulatory approvals to operate in Canada and the United Kingdom and plans to expand internationally.
The company has put more than 1,000 satellites into orbit and is working to make Starlink a profitable, consumer-focused line of commercial products, the proceeds of which will be used to fund the Martian Rocket.
The Starlink Deposit Idea follows the well-known Tesla model, where the electric car maker invites potential customers to order cars that are not yet fully available and collects cash from a modest, refundable deposit to help support the company's balance sheet assets.
Information on the Starlink website indicates that deposits do not guarantee the availability of the Starlink Group and its services, but do prioritize potential clients if they are available in their area.
At the start of the app's first update, Musk wrote on Twitter: "Once we can reasonably anticipate the cash flow, Starlink will go public."
Musk said, "SpaceX needs to close a deep negative cash flow gap over the next year to make Starlink financially viable."
"I'm not afraid to admit that the project business faces big challenges in the future," Musk said, "Starlink is a very tough tech and economic company, but if we don't fail, it will cost end users every year."