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SpaceX has introduced a $10-per-month plan for existing Starlink users in the US, giving subscribers a cheaper way to use the satellite technology as a backup internet solution.
The company quietly rolled out the option to US subscribers last week, according to Reddit users. Then on Tuesday, a Facebook user reported receiving an email from SpaceX about the new plan. The catch is that the $10 plan caps the monthly data to a mere 10GB. Once the limit is exceeded, customers have to pay an extra $2 for each additional GB consumed.
(Credit: SpaceX/Facebook)On the plus side, the plan is part of Starlink’s Roam tier, which lets you use the satellite internet system worldwide rather than a single home address. The Roam tier is ideal for customers looking to use the satellite internet system in more than one location, including a moving car.
In the email, SpaceX adds: “Get online with no downtime in case of emergencies. You can use Roam on the go, with countrywide coverage, in-motion use, international travel, and coastal coverage.”
But it doesn't look like the $10 plan is being offered to new customers on Starlink.com. Instead, SpaceX's email indicates it is marketing the plan to customers who deactivated their Starlink service, which can cost $120 per month through a standard residential plan.
The company debuted a similar backup offering in January that costs $50 per month and caps data at 50GB. The $50 plan is available to new customers in the US through the Roam tier.
Last month, SpaceX also began offering a cheaper “residential lite” plan for US users that's $80 per month. However, the residential lite plan is only offered in areas where Starlink has more network capacity. Customers also need to pay for the Starlink dish hardware, which costs $349, but has been discounted in select US states to $149 for this month.