SpaceX is now offering hardware rentals for its high-speed satellite internet service, Starlink, in New Zealand (via Reddit).
This comes after the company originally launched hardware rentals in the U.K. earlier this month. In New Zealand, Starlink hardware currently costs $729 NZD ($456.46 USD) to purchase outright after an ongoing 30% discount from its original price of $1,040 NZD ($651.20 USD). Renting it, however, only costs $29 NZD ($18.16 USD) per month.
“Rent hardware for $29/mo or purchase for $729 (30% discount from $1,040),” SpaceX told potential Starlink customers in the country. Starlink subscribers in New Zealand also have to pay a monthly service fee of $159 NZD ($99.56 USD).
SpaceX went on to tout the lack of any long-term contracts for its Starlink service — both hardware rentals and service are billed month-to-month, with the user being able to cancel anytime. With SpaceX only taking a couple of weeks to bring Starlink hardware rentals to New Zealand, it looks like the company is quickly expanding the new offering.
SpaceX on Friday launched two back-to-back missions just four hours apart. One of these missions carried 52 new Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. SpaceX’s Vice President of Enterprise Sales, Jonathan Hofeller, said earlier this week that the company now has more than 4,000 Starlink satellites in orbit.
Last week, SpaceX unveiled Starlink Roam, a new roaming option that costs $150 USD for regional roaming and $200 USD for global roaming.
According to a recent report, SpaceX is also gearing up to launch Starlink in South Korea. On the flip side, the company is struggling to even get the service approved in other Asian countries like Pakistan.
