Germany says it is prepared to help its citizens living in rural areas to access better Internet services with subsidies. The government’s Transport Ministry says it will subsidise the purchase of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite dishes and similar providers of wireless Internet connections with grants to households worth €500, business daily Handelsblatt reported.

The €500 on offer more or less matches the fee that Starlink wants from subscribers for its satellite reception/transmission equipment and dish.

However, while Germany will help offset Starlink’s equipment – or that of rival schemes – the subsidy will not extend to monthly subscription and usage fees.

The decision came after Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer met SpaceX founder Elon Musk at the construction site of Tesla’s first European factory near Berlin in mid-May, according to Handelsblatt.

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Tags: elon musk, spacex, starlink