SpaceX was supposed to start enforcing its controversial high-speed data caps for Starlink in February, but the company has decided to delay the policy once again.
A document on a Starlink support page now says SpaceX plans to enforce its “Fair Use” high-speed data caps policy in the US and Canada “beginning no earlier than April 2023," as noted by a user on Reddit.
The support page didn't say why the company is doing so, but this is the second time SpaceX has delayed its high-speed data caps, which were originally supposed to go into effect in December. The company then mysteriously postponed the policy’s launch to February.
SpaceX is rolling out the high-speed data caps to address network congestion. The satellite internet service has become so popular that user capacity for Starlink is stretched, which is causing speeds and broadband quality to fall for many susbcribers across the US.
In response, the company plans on limiting how much high-speed data Starlink subscribers can use each month. Under the Fair Use policy, residential Starlink customers will only receive 1TB of high-speed data each month. Once the cap is exceeded, subscribers will need to pay $0.25 per GB to keep receiving the highest Starlink speeds. Otherwise, SpaceX can throttle their broadband quality to help offset the network congestion.
1TB of data per month may be more than enough for some customers. But the policy is expected to saddle power users or Starlink subscribers with large families with a higher monthly bill. It’s also important to note the Fair Use policy is particularly harsh for business users of Starlink. The company plans to throttle their broadband quality to 1Mbps for downloads and uploads once their monthly cap is exceeded. These users also have to pay a higher fee at $1 per GB to keep receiving the highest Starlink speeds.
SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The satellite internet service currently costs $110 per month for residential subscribers.