SpaceX Starlink can get a billion customers. Their total market is not only 50 million or their current 12 million. They can get 100X as many customers. This will drive more customers, revenue and profits.
For the poorest people in rural India and Africa, SpaceX can match the $5 per month charge for a few mbps of speed by upgrading the standby mode that is $5 per month. V3 satellites will boost the speeds by 8X with FCC allowed higher power transmission. SpaceX can also reduce costs by providing ad supported plans and to provide X Money financial services.
A few billion customers by owning the communication channel and devices has been the dream of Meta for years and Meta has spent about $50+ billion per year trying to get it.
Their cost will be very low to get the larger capacity satellites. Whatever prices they need to charge to win customers, they can do it.
They can also make way more than just the subscription revenue.
There is way more value they can give customers and way more value they can make from customers.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.
The world’s largest ever moat (business sense)?
Everyone else has to pay something like 3-4x cost for launch versus SpaceX internal cost.
And it is going to stay that way for years with just Falcon 9.
If SpaceX does get Starship working, flying regularly, then that gap will just widen further…