SpaceX, the internet satellite company founded by Elon Musk, may be introducing a new initiative to make its Starlink satellite internet service more accessible and affordable.
According to an article on PCMag, the service is dubbed “Starlink Community“. It will allow multiple subscribers to share a single satellite dish, reducing the monthly cost for each user compared to traditional individual plans.
The company recently detailed the program on a support page aimed at authorized resellers and enterprise customers, signaling a strategic push to expand Starlink’s reach.
“Starlink is launching a new affordable way to deliver high-speed internet: one Starlink, multiple subscribers—each with their own Starlink account and seamless experience,” the support page stated.
Rumored Pricing
A dedicated webpage for the Community program, though not yet fully operational, indicates that a monthly pass will cost $60 per user.
This is notably lower than the $80-per-month Residential Lite plan and the $120-per-month standard Residential plan, positioning the Community option as an attractive alternative for cost-conscious consumers.
Available only to Customers Outside US and Canada?
The initiative was first noticed by Jianping Pan, a computer science professor at the University of Victoria in Canada, who specializes in satellite internet systems.
Professor Pan speculated that SpaceX might target regions outside the United States and Canada—its primary markets—where the company is looking to boost revenue by offering more competitive pricing.
SpaceX hinted at the program earlier this year in emails sent to resellers and installers, including some in Portuguese, suggesting a global rollout.
The company plans to leverage its network of resellers to deploy and manage Community sites, with hosts earning commissions for each subscriber they onboard.
“We look forward to working with you to help bring affordable, high-speed internet to your community,” one support page noted.
How The Service Would Work
Unlike the conventional Starlink setup, where a single dish serves one subscriber who can share Wi-Fi within their household, the Community program is designed for multiple users, each connecting through their own Wi-Fi router to a shared dish.
This model appears tailored for environments like apartment complexes, where access to reliable high-speed broadband may be limited.
According to the support page, setting up a Community site involves installing a Starlink kit and a network switch, after which hosts can begin onboarding subscribers.
Each subscriber must provide their own Wi-Fi router to access the shared connection.
The program also includes a “Community Hotspot” feature for short-term connectivity on a single device, though details remain sparse.
While the initiative promises greater affordability, potential challenges remain unaddressed.
The support pages do not specify how sharing a single dish might affect internet speeds, particularly if one user consumes a disproportionate amount of bandwidth.
SpaceX has not yet announced an official launch date for the Starlink Community program.
