SpaceX has unveiled a new tier for its Starlink satellite internet service that is roughly double the performance of its regular service.
The new tier is called Starlink Premium, which can give you speeds between 150 and 500Mbps with 20 to 40 milliseconds of latency.
This is way higher compared to the 50 to 250Mbps with the same latency.
Furthermore, the upload speeds have been increased as well from 10 to 20Mbps on the regular plan to 20 to 40Mbps on the Premium plan.
This kind of internet plan gives you the luxury to stream ultra HD videos on multiple devices without worrying about getting laggy.
However, for such a performance that is double the standard service, you'll have to pay five times more.
Starlink Premium Cost
According to Yahoo and The Verge reports, the Starlink Premium plan will cost $500 per month. In comparison, that is five times the $99 on the standard plan.
Additionally, you'll have to pay around $2,500 for the antenna and other hardware, compared to $499 for the base plan. But beside that, you'll also need to deposit $500 to reserve the Premium dish.
Figures aside, the interesting perk Starlink Premium promises is that the service will perform pretty well in severe weather conditions, plus priority support 24/7.
Sounds good but pricy, yeah?
This premium service is also eyed to become the only high-speed internet option for many isolated locations where additional weatherproofing could be useful.
Read also: SpaceX Starlink Satellite Launch: Elon Musk Promises Internet Coverage Even in Navajo Nation!
How Fast Is 500Mbps?
When it comes to internet plans, it is important to know what you do so you can pick the right plan.
In this article, you'll have ideas about what a 500Mbps internet can give you.
Starting with the most basic and what's commonly asked, if you're using a service with download speeds of 500Mbps, you can stream ultra-HD quality video on up to 20 devices at the same time (if you have huge family with 20 devices or more, this might be just right!).
In addition, you can download an entire music album in just around 1 second (like a blink of an eye) or an HD-quality movie in just about 1 minute.
The average internet speed in the US is 100Mbps and assuming you'll have the 500Mbps plan, that would let you do almost anything you'd like on multiple devices, at the same.
According to Ken's Tech Tip, you can do the following online activities on 20 to 100 devices at the same time: (1) web browsing, messaging, and email, (2) voice and video Calling, (3) streaming online music and radio, (4) streaming online video, and (5) online gaming.
Note, though, that 500Mbps can let you stream 4k UHD video on 20 devices only.
Similarly, if it's Stadia/PS Now/Xbox Cloud and 4K Stadia, you can only enjoy lag-free internet on 10 to 50 devices.
Simply put, the number of devices varies depending on how much Mb the activity consumes. Let's say you can stream a 2-hour 4K movie on 20 devices. This would increase to 100 devices if you're watching a 2-hour movie that is just in full HD or 1080p.
What Internet Service Providers Offer 500Mbps (and up)?
According to CableTV.com, the "best internet service providers" that offer speeds up to 500Mbps are the following:
(Alphabetically arranged)
- AT&T - plan starts at $45/mo., with download speeds of 300-500Mbps and an unlimited data cap.
- Century Link - plan starts at $50/mo., with download speeds of 100-940 Mbps and unlimited data cap.
- Spectrum - plan starts at $49.99/mo., with download speeds of 200-1000Mbps and unlimited data cap.
- Verizon - plan starts at $39.99/mo., with download speeds of 300-940Mbps and unlimited data cap.
- Xfinity - plan starts at $19.99/mo., with download speeds of 50-3,000 Mbps and unlimited data cap.
Of all these plans, Century Link has the cheapest plan.
