(Credit: Starlink.com)
A year after removing the waitlist for Starlink in the US, SpaceX has decided to bring it back, citing limited capacity in certain parts of the country.
The availability map on Starlink.com now shows the residential tier of Starlink as "sold out" in several cities in the western US, including Seattle; Portland, Oregon; Sacramento; and San Diego, as well as Austin, Texas.
If you try to order the Starlink residential service from addresses in any of the listed areas, SpaceX will say: “Starlink is at capacity in your area. Order now to reserve your Starlink. You will receive a notification once your Starlink is ready to ship.”
(Credit: Starlink.com)The news is surprising since Starlink capacity issues often affect areas outside of major cities, which lack access to reliable ground-based internet. In areas with capacity issues, SpaceX has also resorted to charging an extra $100 "congestion" fee rather than cutting off hardware sales.
Outside the US, the waitlist has returned for certain parts of Canada and Mexico. Weeks earlier, the company also said it had sold out of Starlink in several countries in Africa.
SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But it’s possible Starlink is facing a surge in user growth. Last Friday, President and COO Gwynne Shotwell said Starlink is close to reaching 5 million users after adding 1 million users in a span of four months.
Over the summer, SpaceX temporarily offered the standard Starlink dish for $299 in the US before officially changing the price to $349 last month.
Despite the waitlist, Starlink dishes are still available at third-party retailers like Best Buy, Home Depot, and Target. But it's unclear if SpaceX will block dish activations in areas currently waitlisted. Users can also bypass the waitlist by subscribing to the pricier Starlink Roam tier.