[rohanshivi1]

The Prelude:
Recently, my trips to client sites in Finland, Norway, North Sweden, and mainland Europe as far as Portugal have tripled. Consequently, I've been using my phone's mobile hotspot more frequently to connect to the internet in my car. This setup worked well until I received a call while driving, which caused the car to disconnect from the mobile hotspot. Additionally, driving through remote areas often meant no mobile coverage and no internet access.

The Research:
I experimented with various mobile hotspots from providers like Telia, 3, and Telenor, but each had its unique issues.

Starlink Roam:



Enter Elon! Last year, I noticed many motorhomes with white antennas and wondered if they were linked to a specific provider.



My research led me to Starlink Internet (also intriguing because it's allowed in Europe but banned in India).

After researching, I discovered the latest satellite receiver called Starlink Mini with a subscription plan called Starlink Roam, which perfectly suited my needs. I ordered the hardware from the Starlink website after confirming that the Nordics fall within the coverage map.

Receiving the Hardware:







I was as excited as a child receiving their favorite toy. I went to bed thinking I would install it on Saturday. However, my excitement got the best of me, and I woke up at 2 am, went to an open parking lot for space (as the FW doors on ModelX cannot open full in the garage), and began the installation process in -6 degrees Celsius weather.



The Basic Mounting:
I needed to mount it on my ModelX, a challenging task due to the Falcon Wings. My Tesla Owner's group suggested a suction cup holder for the front windshield. After scouring multiple websites, I found one on Amazon.



When the mount arrived, I realized it might fit on the small glass over the Falcon Wings.





It did fit, although the wiring wasn't neat. The ModelX Plaid's Alcantara Roofline makes it difficult to attach anything. I used black electric tape, hoping it would last. (currently the wiring looks like the on the car from Back to the Future)



The Configuration:
With the installation complete, it was time to check the coverage and activate the subscription. The Starlink app made the installation and activation process straightforward.












Pros:
1. Data usage in Europe is similar to India, with varying rates across states. Starlink Roam charges a flat monthly fee for 50 GB, regardless of location, including sea ferry passes.
2. The speed is decent, considering the movement. On my last drive at 110 km/h, I observed a bandwidth of 144 Mbps on a cold day. I expect better speeds during sunny summer days.
3. Best-in-class Wi-Fi coverage. With the car in Camp Mode (Tesla's way of keeping the 12V connection alive for power), I experienced excellent Wi-Fi coverage even when sitting far from the parked car.

Cons:
1. Expensive! The hardware costs around $400-$500, plus the monthly subscription fee.
2. Obstructions like trees, tunnels, and underpasses cause frequent disconnections.
3. Potentially more suitable for motorhomes with families watching TV or commercial vans used for highway or off-grid repairs.

I'm currently in a 30-day trial period, still assessing its performance and suitability for my needs. I'll update you in a few days on whether I'll keep it or return it.

Thank you for reading!

[Kkumar]

Nice article. Lets hope that very soon StarLink is launched in India but with such a high hardware cost and subscription whether they will be successful or not needs to be seen. Thank you for sharing and keep on munching miles.

[rohanshivi1]

Originally Posted by Kkumar

Nice article. Lets hope that very soon StarLink is launched in India but with such a high hardware cost and subscription whether they will be successful or not needs to be seen. Thank you for sharing and keep on munching miles.

Though I understand the concerns Indian Govt has with the Satellite Communication, but they really need to ease things off to tap on the potential that SatComms have today. Tesla will have to bow down on the hardware costs eventually. Its currently very much similar to what we had 15-20 years back with the hardware upfront cost of a router. Today its almost free provided by the providers.

[Doonite]

Could you please also share how much power does the hardware draw? Considering you have an electric car which you do remote location travel with, is the power drawn minimal or something that needs to be considered all the time?

I've been in different Tesla's only as a Uber ride and the cars always exude understated luxury and opulence. I like the minimalistic interiors, well other than the huge screen.

[rohanshivi1]

Originally Posted by Doonite

Could you please also share how much power does the hardware draw? Considering you have an electric car which you do remote location travel with, is the power drawn minimal or something that needs to be considered all the time?

I've been in different Tesla's only as a Uber ride and the cars always exude understated luxury and opulence. I like the minimalistic interiors, well other than the huge screen.

Certainly! Starlink has 2 different models. Starlink Standard & Starlink Mini. The Standard consumes 40-60 watts of power however Mini designed to also work with DC consumes 20-25 watts which is almost non-power hungry number for an EV.
Since the receiver goes out of power when the car is parked and locked, I tried powering it with a small powerbank and it remained active for almost an hour before my tiny powerbank ran out of juice. A car at 80% charged if I keep the Tesla in Camp Mode I am sure it will be enough to keep it online for more than 1.5 -2 days. (or maybe more considering MX Plaid has 110 kWh battery with 8k cells)
Uber Rides and Taxis are generally Model 3 & Model Y's that surely have a very minimalistic interiors.Whereas Model S & Model X have more luxurious interiors with no visible plastic interior components anywhere from front till trunk.Everything is either covered in Alcantara or covered in fake leather even on the bottom of the door pads.

[anand_roy]

Originally Posted by rohanshivi1

Though I understand the concerns Indian Govt has with the Satellite Communication, but they really need to ease things off to tap on the potential that SatComms have today. Tesla will have to bow down on the hardware costs eventually. Its currently very much similar to what we had 15-20 years back with the hardware upfront cost of a router. Today its almost free provided by the providers.

Thank you for sharing the details.

Though security considerations is the official line (and there are some merits to that), the pressure from incumbent operators to not allow Starlink (and eat into their business) is also substantial.

[rohanshivi1]

Originally Posted by anand_roy

Thank you for sharing the details.

Though security considerations is the official line (and there are some merits to that), the pressure from incumbent operators to not allow Starlink (and eat into their business) is also substantial.

Well it is indeed! The Telco lobby will try their best to not allow licensing to any new provider and it makes it too hard when it comes to SatComm. And their reason is definitely justified with the misuse owing to the fact that SatComm's cannot be controlled in a way local networks can.

Despite living here in the Nordics from so long, I still get surprised with the non-secured open processes here like Free Wi-fi provided by city kommunes, stack full of new sim cards outside the stores that can just be picked, activated and used without the ID's, open Wi-Fi in trains and buses etc.

[PreludeSH]

With direct satellite links, you lose control on data. It does not pass through any local gateway. Also, in case of lawful access needed to any user's movement or data, not sure if they have any process where it could be requested. With land based mobile, all these are built in with standards around them so that it works across any vendor's network.

[rohanshivi1]

Originally Posted by PreludeSH

With direct satellite links, you lose control on data. It does not pass through any local gateway. Also, in case of lawful access needed to any user's movement or data, not sure if they have any process where it could be requested. With land based mobile, all these are built in with standards around them so that it works across any vendor's network.

Spot on! Thats definitely the main reason why satellite communication is banned in so many countries. Guess that's the same reason why EU took so much of time opening up for Starlink, Nordics being the last one to do that despite the fact that it benefits the most as the Northern part near to Arctic Circle still misses out on mobile networks at most of the places upwards of Kiruna, Tromsø, Narvik etc

[guptad42]

Come to think of it, why doesn't Tesla offer Starlink built-in as an option on all Tesla cars, the cybertruck, and now the semi too.

[rohanshivi1]

Originally Posted by guptad42

Come to think of it, why doesn't Tesla offer Starlink built-in as an option on all Tesla cars, the cybertruck, and now the semi too.

That's a good thought, and the answer is that they are already working on it but don't plan to launch it for the next 2 -3 years. According to news source, it will be part of a similar subscription as they currently have, which they call the "Premium" plan.