- SpaceX is increasing its prices for Starlink, according to a Financial Times report.
- The cost of Starlink terminals in Ukraine has nearly doubled over the past year, per FT.
SpaceX is hiking prices for its Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine, according to a recent report from Financial Times.
The monthly subscription cost for Starlink is set to increase from $60 to $75, per FT. Similarly, the cost for the Starlink terminals will rise about $200 per device, from $500 to $700, FT reported.
Starlink prices in Ukraine have fluctuated over the course of the year amid a spike in demand for the service in the war-torn country. The cost of the service has risen to be as high as $100 per month earlier this year — it dropped to $60 per month in August — with SpaceX claiming the impact of "local market conditions" has caused the fluctuations, per customer emails reviewed by the FT.
Meanwhile, the price for Starlink terminals has nearly doubled over the course of the year, up from $385 earlier in 2022, the publication said. In the US, Starlink costs about $110 per month, while the satellite dish costs $599, according to SpaceX's website.
A spokesperson for SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment from Insider.
On Tuesday, several Twitter users who claim to be Ukrainian Starlink customers posted screenshots of notices from SpaceX that detailed the price increases. SpaceX plans on instituting the higher fee starting on December 29, according to the emails.
"The financial situation is not good here," @KyryliukRoma tweeted. "@elonmusk could you explain why, and what reasons impacted it?"
—Roman Kyryliuk (@KyryliukRoma) November 29, 2022
It is unclear whether the price increases will impact the Ukrainian government, which has relied on the satellite internet service for military communications.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk first sent Starlink terminals to Ukraine in February, within days of Russia's attack on the nation. Starlink's high-speed connection has allowed Ukrainian soldiers and some civilians to stay online amid Russian strikes on infrastructure.
Since, the country has relied on a mix of donated terminals from SpaceX and NATO allies. In October, SpaceX told the Pentagon it could not continue to pay for Starlink in Ukraine, according to a report from CNN. Musk later said SpaceX had withdrawn a request for funding from the Pentagon and the company would keep funding the Ukrainian government "for free."
The billionaire has previously said on Twitter that he expected SpaceX's costs for sending Starlink to Ukraine to reach over $100 million by the end of 2022. 85% of the 20,000 Starlink terminals that SpaceX has delivered to Ukraine were fully or partially paid for by the US, Poland, and other countries, per CNN.
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