Starlink is officially available in Malaysia and you can now place orders for their Starlink satellite broadband kit. This is a satellite broadband service under SpaceX which provides high-speed broadband with lower latency than traditional GEO satellites. If you don’t have access to 4G/5G and fibre, you can now order your Starlink subscription and hardware in Malaysia.
Starlink satellite broadband costs RM220/month
According to Starlink’s Malaysia page, the satellite service provides download speeds of around 100Mbps. The satellite broadband plan costs RM220/month without a contract but you’ll have to purchase the hardware separately. According to the website, users can try the service for 30 days and they can seek a full refund by returning the hardware.
Starlink Hardware Kits in Malaysia
Starlink offers two hardware options in Malaysia. The standard equipment costs RM2,300 while the High Performance option costs an eye-watering RM11,613. According to Starlink, the standard kit is best for residential users for everyday applications while High-Performance is recommended for power users and enterprise applications. The High-Performance option is designed for improved weather resistance and offers 3x speeds at temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius.
Looking at the specifications for the Standard and High-Performance kits, both come with a motorised self-orienting satellite dish, while the Starlink WiFi router supports up to 802.11ac WiFi 5 with dual-band 3×3 MIMO. The dish for High-Performance is bigger at 575mm x 511mm and has a higher average power usage of 110-150W, versus the standard’s 513mm x 303mm dish with an average power usage of 50-75W.
According to Starlink’s specs, users can expect a download speed of 25-100Mbps and upload speeds of 5-10Mbps for the standard fixed plans. Meanwhile, the expected latency is 25-60ms, which is much closer to a 4G connection. Take note that satellite broadband is a finite resource and Starlink does have its own Fair Usage Policy.
If you’re interested, you can place an order on Starlink’s website and the kit will take 1-2 weeks to ship. Starlink also charges RM100 for shipping fee.
Starlink is now available in Malaysia, marking the 60th country around the world where Starlink can provide high-speed internet connectivity → https://t.co/G1myzWJQ6j 🛰️🇲🇾 pic.twitter.com/0MhynAUrJA
— Starlink (@Starlink) July 25, 2023
According to Starlink, Malaysia is their 60th country worldwide. Malaysia is the second country in ASEAN to offer Starlink to consumers after the Philippines.
Starlink received approval from the MCMC to operate in Malaysia on 17th July 2023 after Anwar Ibrahim had a teleconference meeting with Elon Musk. The Malaysian government had placed orders for 40 Starlink broadband kits for schools and universities which include UiTM. As revealed by the MCMC, Starlink is allowed to operate in Malaysia as a 100% foreign-owned entity as the 49% threshold for foreign equity imposed on NFP(I) and NSP(I) licence holders has been waived after considering the value and benefits to be provided by Starlink Malaysia.
Related reading
- MCMC: Starlink allowed to operate in Malaysia as a 100% foreign-owned entity
- Anwar implies Elon Musk’s Starlink is cheaper than 5G. But is it true?
- UiTM is getting 10 Starlink satellites kits but their campuses already have fibre broadband access
- MCMC gives green light to Starlink to provide satellite services in Malaysia
