If you once subscribed to Starlink but later cancelled, SpaceX may try to lure you back with a free trial.
The company has been sending emails to former customers in the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia offering one free month of service. “We’re inviting you to try Starlink again—free until September 30,” the message reads. According to Starlink’s support page, the promotion only applies to canceled or suspended accounts that received an official invitation.
Why Users Leave Starlink
Although Starlink has been a lifeline for rural and remote communities, not every customer sticks with it. Some use their dish only occasionally, such as for RV trips, while others cancel due to drawbacks like congestion in busy areas or the high monthly fee of $120 in the US.
SpaceX is touting improvements as part of its pitch. The company has launched over 2,300 new satellites in the past year, boosting capacity and lowering latency. It has also introduced “beam switching technology,” designed to help dishes maintain connections even under tree cover.
Growth and Discounts
Freebies and discounts are becoming a common tactic for Starlink. Last month, SpaceX reduced the monthly fee for new subscribers in the US and previously offered dish hardware for free in select regions. A referral program is also available: new users and their referrers each get a free month of service.
Starlink has grown to more than 7 million users worldwide, including over 2 million in the US. That’s a sharp rise from 1.4 million US users just a year ago, though growth had begun to slow before the recent promotions.
What The Author Thinks
SpaceX’s free month is less about generosity and more about customer retention in a market that’s getting tougher. Starlink has done an impressive job scaling globally, but with high costs and performance issues in some areas, it risks losing ground to fiber expansion and competing satellite providers. Offering freebies is a smart short-term move, but long-term success will depend on whether SpaceX can deliver consistently reliable service at a competitive price.
Featured image credit: Bernd Dittrich via Unsplash
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