(Credit: Starlink/PCMag)
Starlink users might be able to reduce their monthly bill by downgrading their internet plan.
The option is appearing for those who live in areas where SpaceX offers the Starlink “Residential Lite” plan, which costs $80 per month—significantly cheaper than the standard $120-per-month Residential service.
Residential Lite offers slower download speeds, from 40Mbps to 135Mbps. It launched in February in 15 states, before expanding to over 30, including parts of California and Texas.
(Credit: Starlink.com)Naturally, some Starlink customers on the pricer $120-per-month tier might wonder if they can switch. Although SpaceX doesn't appear to be directly promoting the downgrade option, a few Starlink subscribers in the US who were not deterred by slower speeds report moving from Residential to Residential Lite.
If you do live in an area that offers Residential Lite, the option to downgrade will appear in your account, according to an official support page from SpaceX. "Under 'Subscription' select 'Manage' under the 'Service Plan' box, then click 'Change Plan,' the page says.
Eligible users can also access the option in the Starlink app. Press the person icon to access your account, then hit “subscriptions,” pick which one you want to access, select “service plan,” and then “change service plan.”
(Credit: PCMag/ Brian Westover)
(PCMag/ Brian Westover)If you change to the cheaper plan, it will take effect at the start of your next billing cycle, SpaceX says. You can also return or switch to the higher tier.
We haven't tried the downgrading/upgrading options yet, but it appears that changing to the Residential Lite plan doesn't always mean a significant decrease in speed. One user on Facebook said it was easy switching from the Residential to Residential Lite plan. "Since my area is designated for offer Lite, it means they’ll probably have sufficient capacity to switch back if I decide to later," the user told PCMag.
"The performance dropped a slight bit during 'prime time' evenings," he added. "But that drop was minimal —from an average of 250mb-300mb down, to 225mb-250mb down. Upload wasn’t affected. For the $40 a month savings, I can live with that."
Another Reddit user from Iowa who's always been on the Residential Lite plan posted a speed test last month showing a 344Mbps download rate. They currently average about 200Mbps, they told us.
Meanwhile, a separate user in a Facebook group wrote: "We are in Central Nebraska by Sandhills and switched over to Starlink Residential Lite for over a month now. It works great. We are streaming 4K TV now."
However, broadband quality will depend on how congested your area is with other Starlink subscribers. If there’s plenty of excess capacity, you can expect better speeds with Residential Lite. SpaceX also notes that Residential Lite speeds can see more impact during "peak hours" of internet usage for the satellite network.
If you took advantage of Starlink's recent free dish deal in exchange for committing to 12 months of service, you might also be able to switch to Residential Lite. But you’ll need to contact SpaceX’s customer support.