(Credit: SpaceX)
Starlink's monthly bill is far from cheap. But SpaceX is starting to offer a way to cut it to $5 —provided you don't use it for long.
On Wednesday, the company introduced Standby Mode for Starlink. It caused some controversy because it replaces the free "Pause" function that many customers on the Starlink Roam plan used to temporarily pause service (and monthly bills). To them, Standby Mode is a price hike.
Still, some Starlink customers are eyeing Standby Mode as the ideal way to get cheap, basic internet access in areas without strong wireless connectivity. Although Standby Mode restricts satellite speeds to a measly 0.5Mbps, it's only $5 per month and offers “unlimited” data. That's a major discount from the other Starlink Roam plans, which cost $165 per month or $50 per month for 50GB of data.
One truck driver on Reddit praised Standby Mode as a “bargain” after struggling to use other satellite internet services. “I have tested this new plan today and to say it is not worth $5 a month is insane,” the user wrote. “Wi-Fi calling still works great. YouTube isn't the greatest experience, but you can watch a video in SD (Standard definition) with no buffering. There are no problems with Facebook, webpages, and music.”
Tim Belfall, a director at UK-based Starlink installer Westend WiFi, also said Standby Mode could be particularly appealing for IoT systems in remote areas. These devices often require constant connectivity but transmit relatively small amounts of data.
“Additionally, it's a great low-cost solution for event food vendors who solely use Starlink to take payments,” he wrote on LinkedIn.
It doesn’t appear SpaceX created Standby Mode as a long-term service offering. So far, the company is marketing it as a backup solution “for emergency messaging and easy reactivation in dead zones” for Starlink Roam users. Standby Mode isn’t featured on Starlink.com at all; instead, it's available to current users, including both Roam and Residential subscribers, as a service option tucked away in their accounts.
Importantly, SpaceX’s terms for the Standby Mode also say: “Customers on Standby Mode for more than 12 consecutive months may, at Starlink’s discretion, (i) be required to pay a fee or upgrade to a different Service plan, or (ii) be only able to connect to the internet to access their Starlink account on www.starlink.com.”
In other words, the company could crack down on customers abusing the Standby Mode for long-term use. “Starlink will say that this would be an unacceptable use on a consumer plan, but small/sole businesses always find a way to reduce costs,” Belfall said.
Standby Mode has also created worries that SpaceX is trying to force the new $5-per-month plan on Roam subscribers, many of whom only use their Starlink dish a few times a year, like on camping trips. (Some users also report that SpaceX is phasing out the $10-per-month 10GB Roam plan.)
However, according to Starlink’s support pages, customers can still effectively pause their Starlink service by letting their Roam subscription lapse and signing back up when they need service again. “Previously, the pause feature offered zero data at no cost. If pausing with Standby Mode does not meet your needs, you are able to cancel at no cost,” the company says.
Another support page adds: “You can reactivate a Roam plan at any time after canceling or using Standby Mode, except in very rare situations where Roam is temporarily restricted across an entire country due to regulatory reasons. Even then, we work to restore access as quickly as possible.”
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