Image: Starlink
SpaceX’s Starlink is experimenting with a new rental-only model for its satellite dishes in parts of Iowa, offering new Residential customers the option to get a free dish with professional installation included at no additional cost.
Normally, Starlink requires customers to purchase their dish outright to subscribe to its satellite internet service. However, in select areas of Iowa, the company appears to be testing a new approach — renting the hardware for $0 per month instead of selling it. A Reddit user spotted the change on Starlink’s website, where eligible Iowa addresses are now seeing a rental-only option for new signups.
Under this promotion, new customers pay just $20 for shipping plus taxes, with no equipment purchase required. The hardware is listed as a rental costing $0 per month, and the package includes free professional installation by a Starlink technician. According to the offer, “If you cancel service, you will have to return your Starlink hardware rental.”
While unusual, this move aligns with SpaceX’s broader push to lower the barrier to entry for new users. Last month, Starlink dropped the price of its standard dish to just $89 USD in the U.S. and $249 CAD in Canada, alongside reduced Residential plan rates. The company is also offering free Mini dishes to select Residential customers in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, as part of an ongoing promotion.
Starlink’s increasingly aggressive pricing strategy — slashing dish prices, introducing free rentals, and even offering complimentary Mini kits — signals both a strong drive to grow its user base and the possibility that SpaceX could be clearing out older inventory ahead of a hardware refresh.
It remains unclear whether the rental-only model will expand beyond Iowa or how eligibility is determined. Starlink recently surpassed seven million users across 150 countries and territories worldwide, and this latest experiment could help it reach even more customers in underserved areas.
