Drones under aviation rates: SpaceX increases Starlink prices for the military
According to Reuters, a dispute has arisen between SpaceX and the US Department of Defense regarding the cost of Starlink satellite communication services used in military operations in Iran. After LUCAS kamikaze drones, controlled via Elon Musk's satellites, began achieving success on the battlefield, SpaceX management demanded that the Pentagon increase communication fees several times over. This is reported by Ixbt.com reports. states.
Company executives informed military officials that they were paying standard mobile rates (approximately $5,000 per month per terminal) while actually utilizing high-speed channels with a real value closer to $25,000. SpaceX justified this demand by stating that the drones' performance in combat conditions corresponds to a premium aviation rate. Although the Pentagon argued that purchasing a full monthly aviation package for drones that fly for only a few hours before exploding is illogical, they were ultimately forced to concede.
At the same time, another financial disagreement emerged between the parties. The US government initiated negotiations to launch Direct-to-Cell technology to help Iranian citizens bypass internet blocks. Previously, 6,000 Starlink terminals smuggled into the country were confiscated by Iranian authorities, who also installed signal jamming systems.
In response to the Pentagon's request to implement direct-to-smartphone technology, SpaceX set an exorbitant price: $500 million to launch the service and a fixed monthly subscription fee of $100 million. According to Reuters, these demands shocked Department of Defense representatives.
Currently, the ministry is not providing official comments on the pricing disputes, but is exploring the possibility of purchasing an additional 3,500 Starshield military subscriptions while searching for alternative communication providers. This could generate hundreds of millions of dollars in additional annual revenue for Starlink.
