Benzinga - by Chris Katje, Benzinga Staff Writer.
SpaceX's Starlink segment, which offers new ways for consumers to connect to the internet, landed one of its biggest partnerships to date.
What Happened: Comcast Business, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA), agreed to offer connectivity solutions to its enterprise customers by providing access to the Low Earth Orbit satellites from Starlink.
The announcement highlights enterprises that face scalability concerns and reliability issues as key potential customers.
"As the first major network provider to collaborate with Starlink, we're excited to uniquely enhance our extensive managed connectivity portfolio with advanced satellite capabilities to better serve our enterprise customers," Comcast Business Sr. Vice President, Product Strategy and Operations Jon Friedman said.
Friedman said the Starlink satellites will complement the company's existing network and extend Comcast's reach.
For Starlink, the partnership could mark further validation for its technology and high-speed internet.
"Starlink is excited to work with Comcast Business to deliver reliable connectivity to customers," Starlink Enterprise Sales Vice President Jason Fritch said. "This agreement with a leading service provider is an acknowledgement of Starlink's growing role as a critical element in modern enterprise networks."
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Why It's Important: Starlink has landed deals with cruise lines and airplanes to provide internet service in harder-to-reach areas of connectivity.
The new deal with Comcast could see Starlink as a staple in the enterprise segment as companies look to get the most reliable internet possible with limited downtime.
Starlink’s starter packages are available at top retailers like Walmart, Target, Home Depot and Best Buy.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has criticized the Biden administration for what he considers a “waste of taxpayer money” on rural high-speed internet infrastructure.
Musk agreed with a user on X that $42 billion could have been used to buy Starlink dishes for 140 million people in the U.S. for better connectivity.
It’s worth noting that Starlink has been shrouded in controversy after Ukraine criticized Musk for withholding internet access to its military, but not Russia.
Musk denies the claims.
Starlink is now available in over 100 countries, has over three million users, is sold in major retailers and is being used by major transportation companies.
The latest deal with Comcast could offer validation for Musk's internet company and help justify the high valuation (reportedly $200 billion) for the still privately held SpaceX.
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