Amid Iran War, Musk Raises Starlink Prices, Pentagon Forced To Pay Five Times More

Washington: During the Iran war, a major dispute came to light between the US Army and Elon Musk's company SpaceX regarding the price of Starlink internet service. According to the report, the 'Lucas' Comikaze drones that were being used by the US Army were being operated through the Starlink network. Meanwhile, SpaceX demanded a huge increase in the internet service charges for these drones.

Why did SpaceX ask for a price increase?

Initially the US Defense Department i.e. Pentagon was paying about five thousand dollars for each Starlink terminal. But SpaceX said that these drones are not using normal internet service but aircraft class high-end service. According to the company, the real price of such a service should be 25 thousand dollars per month.

How did the US military react to this?

US defense officials protested against this increased price. He said aircraft-grade service charges should not apply to drones that use the network for only a few minutes or hours. However, the military's increasing reliance on Starlink during the Iran War ultimately forced the Pentagon to accept increased costs. This almost doubled the total cost of each ‘Lucas’ drone.

Why did Starlink's role become so important in the war?

After the Russia-Ukraine war, the role of Starlink network in modern wars has increased rapidly. This technology helps in secure communication, drone operations and precise strikes even in remote areas. About 10 thousand SpaceX satellites are active in the Earth's orbit, which is considered a large part of the total active satellites in the world.

Which system is the US military using?

The US Army uses Starshield, the military version of Starlink. It is being used in drones, unmanned boats and other defense systems. According to the report, more than a dozen drone systems were connected to the Starshield network by the time the Iran war began.

What is the new plan regarding internet service in Iran?

The report claims that the US wanted to bypass government internet restrictions in Iran and provide mobile internet service directly to citizens. For this, SpaceX proposed 'direct-to-sell' technology, through which mobile phones can connect directly to the satellite network without any terminal.

Why did the controversy increase over this scheme?

SpaceX demanded 500 million dollars to start this service and 100 million dollars every month for operation. Pentagon officials became concerned about such a huge cost. At present the final agreement between the two parties has not been confirmed. Experts believe that the increasing dependence of the US military has made Elon Musk and SpaceX a very strong strategic force in the field of national security.