Elon Musk's low orbit satellite company Starlink has launched services in Israel to the general public directly from its Internet site. The SpaceX division will offer Israelis fast Internet at download speeds between 40 and 200 Mbps and upload speeds between 8 and 25 Mbps.
Starlink is the only company worldwide currently providing high-speed low-latency relatively stable Internet services from anywhere in the world in the most remote and underserved locations on land, in the air and at sea. The company will offer private stationary users a package starting at NIS 230 shekels per month for up to 200 Mbps, and packages that allow internet on the go as well as for businesses at customized prices. The company has inaugurated services in Israel in a manner reminiscent of Tesla: sales are made directly through the website without mediation by an Israeli importer.
Israeli Internet Service Providers need not worry
Starlink has not invented satellite Internet. This form of communication has been operating for many years, but it has been done inefficiently using distant satellites orbiting earth at an altitude of 35,000 kilometers. As a result, the data transfer time between users and the satellite - or the latency - is long and can reach up to 600 milliseconds. Therefore, it has difficulty supporting high-volume data transfer such as streaming, gaming or video calls.
Musk's satellites cruise at a much lower altitude, about 550 kilometers, and are therefore also called "low-orbit satellites" (LEO), so the latency is lower and reaches, according to the company, about 25 milliseconds. Starlink is the world's largest low-orbit satellite company in the field of Internet connection, with over 8,000 satellites. Musk's biggest rival, Amazon's Project Kuiper, has launched only 54 satellites into space so far.
Based on Starlink's prices, Israeli Internet Service Providers (ISPs) need not be worried. Prices are expensive compared with Israeli providers - therefore, most Israeli customers are expected to be heavy users who require online connection on flights, although more and more airlines are offering Starlink connection themselves. Most of the use in Israel is likely to come from the business sector and provide redundancy - that is, the ability to enable connectivity in emergency situations or during power or internet outages.
Israel's Ministry of Communications has confirmed that Starlink has begun Israel operations and described this as "important news for authorities, businesses and the public at large. Following the license granted by Communications Minister Dr. Shlomo Karhi to Starlink in 2024, and after completing all the required coordination with the company, Starlink began providing a basic service in Israel today, which includes the establishment of fixed stations for households and public buildings that will enable satellite internet connections. The ministry will continue to work to expand services, including the operation of mobile stations and more."
Will Gaza also be connected?
Karhi and Musk have crossed swords in the past. At the beginning of the war, the Ministry of Communications was in talks with Musk’s Starlink to connect Israeli settlements in the south and north using a satellite connection. Musk then also agreed to connect up Gaza when responding to a tweet by Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in which she wrote that "Cutting off all communications to a population of 2.2 million people (in Gaza) is unacceptable. Journalists, medical personnel, humanitarian aid, and innocent people are all at risk."
Karhi responded to Musk, writing that Israel would use "all means at its disposal to fight this decision, and that Hamas would use it for terrorist activity." Musk hit back, saying that they were "not that naive," and that "not a single Starlink terminal has attempted to connect from Gaza." He also noted that they would verify that these terminals were only used for purely humanitarian reasons.
Afterwards, and in the wake of a visit by Musk to Israel during the war, Karhi announced that the two had reached agreements in principle, according to which the only way to operate the terminals is with the approval of Israel's Ministry of Communications, "including in the Gaza Strip."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on August 8, 2025.
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