SpaceX Shares Starlink Access in New Markets

SpaceX is nearing the rollout of its Starlink "Community" program, which will provide hourly, daily, and weekly passes for satellite internet. Initial deployment is slated for nine markets in Latin America, Asia, and Africa, including Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Rwanda, Chile, Peru, Dominican Republic, Indonesia, and Brazil.

The program will operate through hosts who install Starlink kits at various locations like cafes and apartment complexes. These hosts will earn revenue by selling flexible internet passes to neighbors and customers, with Starlink managing payments and connectivity. Business and enterprise users are generally excluded, though indirect connections are permitted in multi-family residential settings.

This expansion follows over a year of development and aims to create additional revenue streams for SpaceX by serving users who require short-term internet access. The launch details and pricing remain undisclosed, but the program's terms of service were recently updated on Starlink.com.

This initiative comes as Starlink faces user criticism for implementing a 5TB high-speed data cap for residential users outside the US and parts of Europe, despite previous "unlimited data" advertising.