Cybertruck Tests Mobile Starlink
On October 3rd, X-user @Jonasbrowniee posted a shot of a pair of Cybertrucks wandering the streets with some interesting upgrades.
First up, the obvious: the lead Cybertruck is sporting both the Releace Candidate mark on its bumper - and what is probably the best looking wrap we’ve seen on a Cybertruck to date: It’s an updated version of the Cybertruck graffiti logo from 2019.
The graffiti-style art gives a great splash of colour without completely hiding the stainless steel body - a feature most people would agree is the defining feature of Tesla’s new pickup.
But the real eye-catcher is the device sitting just above the windshield - it’s flat and wide, with a large, flexible antenna installed right next to it. That’s right, this appears to be the Starlink Mobility dish.
Starlink Mobility is more or less what the name implies: a version of the Starlink service that is designed to be used on the move. Up front, the Starlink Mobility service is very impressive. Up to 220mbps download speeds and 25mbps upload speeds is pretty comparable to what most of us have at home - but we have to remember that while it's working not just in city limits, but out in the sticks.
And just like 5G cell service, Starlink Mobility works while the vehicle is in motion, and doesn’t have to rely on being near any cell towers to function.
Imagine being a surveyor with one of these Starlink-equipped Cybertrucks. You're out in an undeveloped lot somewhere in the countryside, and you've collected a bunch of data on the grade, drainage, and soil composition of the site. Normally, you'd have to drive all that back to the office at the end of the day - but with this setup, you could send an email with that info to your technicians to start work on, and analyse your data in the field before moving on to your next site. Convenient, right?
Now picture that sort of utility with a remote construction site, search and rescue efforts, or the base camp for disaster relief efforts. This tech has teh potential to be a real game-changer.
Now the price of this system is a bit much - at the most basic package, you're going to be looking at about $250 USD per month. Not many people are going to be needing more than that, but even so, the next two brackets are at $1,000 per month, and a whopping $5,000 per month - with caps at 50Gb, 1Tb, and 5Tb respectively.
There is a trade-off here for the high price though - aside from the ability to have decent internet in the wilderness of course. Starlink Mobility customers receive priority use of the network - so even if there is congestion from peak user activity, Mobility customers get their usage handled first.
Testing this sort of utility for the Cybertruck is really a no-brainer. The truck is made to operate in rough, remote locations, and even has a 48v system to handle more high-powered gear.
Starlink Mobility itself wasn’t made specifically for the Cybertruck either, but it isn't a stretch to think that the internal Cybertruck peripherals team didn’t have a hand in this initiative. The new vehicle is already being hyped up as the go-to electric truck for people who like to go off-roading, or camping. Having the ability to run a solid internet connection is a very attractive feature.
Cybertruck itself has yet to be put on the market. The last few months have been filled with testing as Tesla finished their design efforts, and transitioned to the work of getting all their certifications. It’s likely that we’re going to be seeing a delivery even within the next couple of weeks - but that part is still up to the regulators.
In the meantime, Tesla can only continue testing new gear for their stainless steel truck.