SpaceX on Monday expanded its Starlink satellite internet service with a new offering called Starlink RV, which is available immediately without a waitlist.
As the name suggests, Starlink RV is designed for users who like to take road trips or go camping. But most importantly, if you subscribe, the company will immediately ship out a Starlink dish to your address.
“At this time, there is no waitlist — all orders will be shipped shortly after the order is placed,” SpaceX's support page says. “However, supply is subject to network and equipment availability.”
SpaceX is charging Starlink RV subscribers $599 for the dish and $135 per month to receive internet via the service. But the catch is that you’ll only receive Starlink broadband in areas where SpaceX provides active internet coverage.
So if you live in an area in the US where Starlink is still listed as “coming soon,” subscribing to Starlink RV won’t help.
However, the dish will work in areas currently designated as “waitlisted.” So if you live in area already full of Starlink users and remain desperate for the service, this is your chance to finally order it. But on the downside, subscribers to Starlink RV will receive downgraded broadband.
“Network resources are always de-prioritized for Starlink for RVs users compared to other Starlink services, resulting in degraded service and slower speeds in congested areas and during peak hours,” the company’s support page adds. “Service degradation will be most extreme in ‘Waitlist’ areas on the Starlink Availability Map during peak hours.”
Specifically, users can expect download speeds to range from 5Mbps to 100Mbps in high usage waitlist zones, a potentially massive downgrade from the normal 50Mbps to 250Mbps download speeds. To find out which areas currently receive Starlink coverage, you can plug in your address at Starlink.com or check out the company’s coverage map.
The other notable limitation is how Starlink RV doesn't officially operate "in motion," although SpaceX is working to add the capability.
Starlink RV arrives weeks after SpaceX introduced a new portability option to the standard Starlink service, which can allow existing subscribers to use their dish in different locations outside their home address. It too costs $135 per month when the portability option is activated.
The key difference with Starlink RV is how you can pay as you go. "Starlink for RVs provides the ability to pause and un-pause service at any time and is billed in one-month increments, allowing users to customize their service to their individual travel needs," the company's website says.
In contrast, residential Starlink users must pay $110 per month indefinitely; if they pause service, they risk losing access indefinitely for their coverage area.