SpaceX is giving away free Starlink Mini kits in the US and Canada — but there's a catch
If you’ve been a loyal Starlink Residential user for over a year, you might qualify for a free Starlink Mini Kit. That’s according to a new promo email SpaceX is sending out to longtime subscribers in the US and Canada.
Lucky Residential subscribers who have received the email will be able to claim a Starlink Mini dish at no extra cost. All you have to do is click the “Redeem $0 Mini Kit button in the email, confirm the order, and the dish will be delivered to your address. SpaceX notes that the redemption link is valid till October 22nd. In addition, the email also mentions that users will get 50% off Roam plans, meaning you’ll only have to pay $82.5 for the Roam Unlimited plan and $25 for Mini Roam. Usually, these plans cost $165 and $50, respectively. It’s not immediately clear if the discounted pricing is only valid for the first few months of the service or a permanent perk for eligible Residential users.
There are a few caveats with the offer, though. For one, the Starlink Mini you receive will be on Standby Mode, meaning even if you don’t activate a service plan, you’ll still be paying a $5 monthly fee ($7 in Canada). Further, and more importantly, the dish is not technically “free” in that it's being provided on a rental basis, and SpaceX notes that “the Mini must be returned” to the company should you decide to cancel your Residential or Roam service plan at any point, or its cost will be charged to your payment method.”
The offer looks generous on the surface, but it’s also a smart move by SpaceX to drive recurring revenue and push adoption of its Roam service.
That said, if you travel to remote places a lot and have had your eye on the Mini Kit, this is a genuinely good deal—and the 50% discount on Roam plans is especially tempting. The dish easily fits into a backpack and can be mounted on top of your vehicle for use on the go. It comes with an integrated dual-band Wi-Fi, and SpaceX promises up to 250Mbps download and 25Mbps upload speeds.
Those who don’t qualify for the freebie can still get the Mini Kit without paying the full price, as Starlink recently slashed the price of the portable dish by 40%, bringing it down to $299 at Starlink.com and other online retailers.
