News
SpaceX rolls out Starlink “Better Than Nothing Beta” in the US and Canada
SpaceX has officially begun rolling out what it’s deemed a Starlink internet “Better Than Nothing Beta” across the United States and Canada.
The culmination of a mere 11 months of dedicated Starlink launches, SpaceX says that the constellation – some 820 satellites strong – is now large and mature enough to begin covering all of Canada and the US in 2020, “rapidly expanding to near global coverage of the populated world by 2021.”
While global coverage is thus close on the horizon, SpaceX is striving to make it abundantly clear to early Starlink beta customers that the constellation is in a state of extreme change and instability and will be far from perfect: literally Better Than Nothing, for the time being.
Alongside the first beta invite emails from Starlink, the SpaceX division appears to have made both iOS and Android apps available on their respective app stores. The apps feature a minimalist design leaving plenty of room for expansion and mainly exist to help onboard customers and guide them through the relatively simple setup process.
Starlink is designed to deliver high-speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable, expensive, or completely unavailable. Under Starlink’s Better Than Nothing Beta program, initial service is targeted for the U.S. and Canada in 2020, rapidly expanding to near-global coverage of the populated world by 2021.
The Starlink app is designed to help you:
• Identify the install location that will ensure the best quality of service
• Check for obstructions that can interfere with service
• Setup your Starlink hardware
• Verify your WiFi connection
• Run speed tests
• Troubleshoot connectivity issues
• Contact support
Starlink App description – Android/iOS
The Starlink beta invite also informs early users that they should expect to receive speeds of 50-150 Mbps and latency (ping) between 20 and 40 milliseconds with occasional service outages and connection interruptions. Curiously, the invite also flies counter to previous hints in the code of SpaceX’s Starlink.com website that beta testing would be free for testers, revealing that Better Than Nothing Beta service will cost $99 per month and require each user to purchase a $499 Starlink user terminal.
While undeniably steep as far as most consumers of normal US and Canadian internet services are concerned, the sheer quantity of social media users revealing the obscene prices they pay for mediocre internet across North America suggests that even Starlink’s high beta pricing can compete with – or obliterate – existing rural providers.
A step further, SpaceX’s Hawthorne, CA Starlink user terminal factory has just barely begun volume production, all but guaranteeing that the efficiencies possible through economies of scale have yet to be realized. Phased-array antennas have never been mass-produced at the scale Starlink will need to serve even a minuscule percentage of prospective customers, meaning that SpaceX is likely to learn a great deal as it attempts to be the first company to do so.
If one assumes that SpaceX can quickly cut the cost of service and user terminals in half while dramatically improving network performance, Starlink will quickly become a no-brainer in many developed broadband markets.
SpaceX appears to be shipping Starlink user terminals and setup packages to beta users almost immediately after orders are placed. Lacking any kind of obvious non-disclosure agreement (NDA), it appears that the first reviews from Starlink beta users are likely to begin rolling in a matter of days from now.
Elon Musk shared an incredible detail about Tesla Cybercab’s potential efficiency, as the company has hinted in the past that it could be one of the most affordable vehicles to operate from a per-mile basis.
ARK Invest released a report recently that shed some light on the potential incremental cost per mile of various Robotaxis that will be available on the market in the coming years.
The Cybercab, which is detailed for the year 2030, has an exceptionally low cost of operation, which is something Tesla revealed when it unveiled the vehicle a year and a half ago at the “We, Robot” event in Los Angeles.
Musk said on numerous occasions that Tesla plans to hit the $0.20 cents per mile mark with the Cybercab, describing a “clear path” to achieving that figure and emphasizing it is the “full considered” cost, which would include energy, maintenance, cleaning, depreciation, and insurance.
Probably true
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 22, 2026
ARK’s report showed that the Cybercab would be roughly half the cost of the Waymo 6th Gen Robotaxi in 2030, as that would come in at around $0.40 per mile all in. Cybercab, at scale, would be at $0.20.
Credit: ARK Invest
This would be a dramatic decrease in the cost of operation for Tesla, and the savings would then be passed on to customers who choose to utilize the ride-sharing service for their own transportation needs.
The U.S. average cost of new vehicle ownership is about $0.77 per mile, according to AAA. Meanwhile, Uber and Lyft rideshares often cost between $1 and $4 per mile, while Waymo can cost between $0.60 and $1 or more per mile, according to some estimates.
Tesla’s engineering has been the true driver of these cost efficiencies, and its focus on creating a vehicle that is as cost-effective to operate as possible is truly going to pay off as the vehicle begins to scale. Tesla wants to get the Cybercab to about 5.5-6 miles per kWh, which has been discussed with prototypes.
Additionally, fewer parts due to the umboxed manufacturing process, a lower initial cost, and eliminating the need to pay humans for their labor would also contribute to a cheaper operational cost overall. While aspirational, all of the ingredients for this to be a real goal are there.
It may take some time as Tesla needs to hammer the manufacturing processes, and Musk has said there will be growing pains early. This week, he said regarding the early production efforts:
“…initial production is always very slow and follows an S-curve. The speed of production ramp is inversely proportionate to how many new parts and steps there are. For Cybercab and Optimus, almost everything is new, so the early production rate will be agonizingly slow, but eventually end up being insanely fast.”
Elon Musk
Elon Musk to attend 2026 World Economic Forum at Davos
The Tesla CEO was confirmed as a last-minute speaker for a session with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink.
Elon Musk is poised to attend the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos. The Tesla CEO was confirmed as a last-minute speaker for a session with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, signaling a thaw in Musk’s long-strained relationship with the event.
A late addition
Organizers of the World Economic Forum confirmed that Elon Musk was added shortly before the event to a Thursday afternoon session, where he was scheduled to speak with Fink, as noted in a Bloomberg News report. Musk’s upcoming appearance marks Musk’s first participation in the forum, which annually draws political leaders, business executives, and global media to Davos, Switzerland.
Musk’s attendance represents a departure from his past stance toward the event. He had been invited in prior years but declined to attend, including in 2024. His upcoming appearance followed remarks from his political ally, Donald Trump, who addressed the forum earlier in the week with a wide-ranging speech.
A previously strained relationship
Musk had frequently criticized the World Economic Forum in the past, describing it as elitist and questioning its influence. In earlier posts, he characterized the gathering as “boring” and accused it of functioning like an unelected global authority. Those remarks contributed to a long-running distance between Musk and WEF organizers.
The forum previously said Musk had not been invited since 2015, though that position has since shifted. Organizers indicated last year that Musk was welcome amid heightened interest in his political and business activities, including his involvement in the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk later stepped away from that role.
Despite his friction with the World Economic Forum, Musk has remained central to several global events, from SpaceX’s provision of satellite internet services in geopolitically sensitive regions through Starlink to the growing use of xAI’s Grok in U.S. government applications.
News
Tesla states Giga Berlin workforce is stable, rejects media report
As per the electric vehicle maker, production and employment levels at the facility remain stable.
Tesla Germany has denied recent reports alleging that it has significantly reduced staffing at Gigafactory Berlin. As per the electric vehicle maker, production and employment levels at the facility remain stable.
Tesla denies Giga Berlin job cuts report
On Wednesday, German publication Handelsblatt reported that Tesla’s workforce in Gigafactory Berlin had been reduced by about 1,700 since 2024, a 14% drop. The publication cited internal documents as its source for its report.
In a statement to Reuters, Tesla Germany stated that there has been no significant reduction in permanent staff at its Gigafactory in Grünheide compared with 2024, and that there are no plans to curb production or cut jobs at the facility.
“Compared to 2024, there has been no significant reduction in the number of permanent staff. Nor are there any such plans. Compared to 2024, there has been no significant reduction in the number of permanent staff. Nor are there any such plans,” Tesla noted in an emailed statement.
Tesla Germany also noted that it’s “completely normal” for a facility like Giga Berlin to see fluctuations in its headcount.
A likely explanation
There might be a pretty good reason why Giga Berlin reduced its headcount in 2024. As highlighted by industry watcher Alex Voigt, in April of that year, Elon Musk reduced Tesla’s global workforce by more than 10% as part of an effort to lower costs and improve productivity. At the time, several notable executives departed the company, and the Supercharger team was culled.
As with Tesla’s other factories worldwide, Giga Berlin adjusted staffing during that period as well. This could suggest that a substantial number of the 1,700 employees reported by Handelsblatt were likely part of the workers who were let go by Elon Musk during Tesla’s last major workforce reduction.
In contrast to claims of contraction, Tesla has repeatedly signaled plans to expand production capacity in Germany. Giga Berlin factory manager André Thierig has stated on several occasions that the site is expected to increase output in 2026, reinforcing the idea that the facility’s long-term trajectory remains growth-oriented.
Elon Musk shares incredible detail about Tesla Cybercab efficiency
Elon Musk to attend 2026 World Economic Forum at Davos
