(Credit: Starlink.com)
SpaceX's Starlink waitlist is increasing in the US, a sign that the satellite internet service is still struggling with network capacity.
The map on Starlink.com was updated to list three new areas in the eastern US as "sold out," as spotted by a user on Twitter/X. The affected areas include two regions in Florida and a swath of territory that covers Tennessee, North and South Carolina, and northern Georgia.
In addition, the Starlink.com map also lists Phoenix as another sold-out area—a change that wasn't present earlier this month.
(Credit: Starlink.com)If you try to order Starlink in those regions, the website will say: "Please note that we cannot provide an estimated timeframe for service availability, but our teams are working as quickly as possible to add more capacity to the constellation so we can continue to expand coverage for more customers around the world."
The change affects Starlink’s residential tier, which usually costs $120 per month and is the most affordable unlimited data plan in the US.
To receive access in a sold-out area, a customer must go through a waitlist and submit a deposit. They can also subscribe to the pricier Starlink Roam plan, which costs $165 per month but lets the customer receive satellite internet in more than one location.
SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But in November, the company revived the waitlist for the Starlink residential tier in several major metro areas in the US, including Austin, Texas; Portland, Oregon; Sacramento; and Seattle. Since then, the waitlist for the affected areas has remained in place. In addition, the company has imposed a one-time $100 congestion charge for residential subscribers in areas with limited network capacity.
In August, SpaceX told the FCC it had over 1.4 million Starlink subscribers in the US. So it’s possible the satellite internet service is experiencing a new surge in growth, forcing it to limit sign-ups. The company has been selling Starlink access to consumers and businesses, including airline providers and government agencies.
To increase Starlink’s capacity, SpaceX continues to launch new satellites into space. But some of those satellites have been for SpaceX’s cellular Starlink service, which is focused on mobile phones. At the same time, the company has been spotted mass-retiring hundreds of older Starlink satellites in recent months.