SpaceX has increased the cost of Starlink communication for Pentagon drones five times
SpaceX has increased the cost of connecting to Starlink satellite internet for American military drones from $5,000 to $25,000 per terminal.
SpaceX has increased the cost of connecting to Starlink satellite internet for American military drones from $5,000 to $25,000 per terminal.
This was reported by Reuters, citing its own sources and documents from the US Department of Defense.
According to the publication, SpaceX management initiated a meeting with Pentagon representatives shortly after the start of the US campaign using kamikaze drones against Iran, which were sent using the Starlink network. The company argued the need to revise the prices by saying that the military was actually using a higher level of service, which cost closer to $25,000, while paying only about $5,000 for a terminal.
Ultimately, the US Department of Defense was forced to agree to new, higher tariffs, a situation that demonstrates Elon Musk’s growing influence over the Pentagon as Starlink becomes critical infrastructure for US military operations.
The differences between the company and the government, however, are not limited to military pricing. The dispute also concerns Starlink's direct-to-cell feature, which allows mobile phones to connect directly to satellites. The technology is seen as a tool to provide connectivity to civilians in Iran, which is facing widespread government-imposed internet blackouts.
Recall that SpaceX's Starlink technology plays a key role in providing communications in combat zones and areas with destroyed infrastructure. Starlink systems have been widely used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, ensuring troop coordination and drone control.
Recently, dev.ua wrote about how the world is challenging the Starlink monopoly and where Ukraine stands in this race.
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