Free Starlink Mini dish offered to longtime Residential plan subscribers in Australia as long as they keep paying

SpaceX is giving away a Starlink Mini Kit for free to those subscribers who have long held a contract with the satellite Internet provider for more than a year.

If the free Starlink Mini dish deal was offered in the US, it would be a $500 value even with the discount on Amazon, but for Australian customers who get the enticing deal first, the free Starlink Mini Kit promo saves them AU$599, or about US$390.

A free Mini dish with Residential plan subscription is not the only deal that Starlink has running in Australia. In an effort to lure customers away from traditional telcos, Starlink is offering a free Standard Kit in certain regions there as well. The subscriber needs to sign for a 12-month contract to get a free dish, and in other areas where Starlink doesn't run the gratis Standard Kit promo due to the relative customer saturation there, new subscribers can still get a deeply discounted dish for just AU$149.

SpaceX is making these moves for free Starlink dishes Down Under despite the fact that it counts the largest local carrier Telstra as a partner in providing fixed broadband Internet to remote customers directly.  

The vast expanses of the Australian territory and its dispersed population make it particularly suitable for taking subscribers away from traditional telcos, and Starlink isn't missing its chances for expansions there.

Customers who have been with its Residential plan for over a year are now getting the message that they are entitled to a free Starlink Mini dish, which, while a US$390 value, would prompt them to also subscribe for the Roam plan ensuring an extra stream of income for Starlink from the same customer.

Needless to say, the catch is that they will have to keep paying for Starlink Residential as well, or they'll have to either return the Mini dish or compensate its costs. Starlink customer who take advantage of the free Starlink Mini dish promo do get a 50% discount on the roaming plan fee, though.