Starlink Roam Price Hike: New Features Justify the Cost?
SpaceX sent emails to users about raising the monthly fee for the Mobile Regional plan on the Starlink Roam tier from $150 to $165. The company is also rebranding the plan as “Roam Unlimited.” But on the plus side, SpaceX is bundling some new features that were previously only available in the more expensive Roam plans. Starlink Roam PriceÂ
The new pricing for current Mobile-Regional customers goes into effect on October 10, 2024, but new customers can purchase the updated plans now.
What’s New?
The Mobile-Regional plan is now Roam Unlimited. The new plan is $15 more expensive than the previous mobile plan but adds some highly demanded features that were only available from the more expensive plans.
Speed Boost
The most notable change is a huge speed increase for the Roam plan. The Mobile plans previously specified a range of 5 to 50Mbps download speed and up to 10Mbps upload speed. Roam Unlimited doubles the speed up to 100Mbps download and 25Mbps upload. Starlink previously estimated latency to be at least less than 99ms, but it is now dependent on location (which you check on Starlink’s speed map).
Connect on the Move
With Roam Unlimited, you can now use your dish while in motion. Previously, the dish had to be stationary or traveling less than 10 miles per hour to connect. Now, you can install your Standard Starlink dish in your RV or other vehicle to connect to the internet for long road trips. It’s also available for coastal boat use, allowing you to use your dish up to 12 nautical miles from shore.
Note: The Starlink Mini, Standard, and Flat High-Performance dishes can be used in motion. Starlink did not design the Standard Actuated dish for in-motion use and cannot guarantee its effectiveness. It advises users to use it at their own risk.
International Travel
The Roam Unlimited plan is no longer restricted to the region it was purchased in. Whereas before, if you bought your Starlink in the U.S., you were limited to using it in North America, now the entire globe is opened up. The Mobile plans were previously divided into Regional and the prohibitively expensive Global plan ($400). You’re now free to travel the world and connect your Starlink wherever there’s coverage, which is now most of the entire earth.
However, there are limits, as Starlink is not authorized to operate in many countries and can sometimes be illegal to possess. According to Starlink’s Terms of Service, since Starlink Roam is intended for temporary travel or nomad lifestyles, it cannot be used outside the country of purchase for more than two months. To avoid suspension of service, the customer must change the account’s address to its current location where it is authorized. This is to avoid customers using Starlink Roam as a fixed, residential internet provider in a country where it is illegal. Refer to Starlink’s availability map to see where it is authorized.
Starlink Roam 50GB Starlink Roam Price
In addition to changes to the Unlimited Roam plan, Starlink has given all users the option to switch to the $50 Roam 50GB plan, which was previously only available to owners of the Starlink Mini. All features of the Roam Unlimited plan apply, but it’s limited to 50GB of data per billing period. Customers can purchase additional data for $1 per GB or opt-in to be automatically billed for data that goes over the initial 50GB.
With the Standard Starlink kit selling for as low as $299 in certain states, pairing it with the $50 Roam plan makes it the cheapest it’s ever been to buy and get online with Starlink.
The price increase appears to also be rolling out to users in Europe, although at different costs.