(Credit: PCMag/Brian Westover)
SpaceX appears to be giving more people the opportunity to grab a free Starlink Mini dish rental alongside their standard residential internet service.
A growing number of Starlink Residential users in the US say they've received an email invite for the offer. It comes as SpaceX reorganizes its Residential plans into three tiers. The fastest plan, Residential Max, is still $120 per month, but includes a few new perks. Most notably, customers can opt into receiving a free Starlink Mini for travel, which effectively loans out the portable dish as long as the customer remains on Residential Max.
(Credit: Facebook Starlink Group)SpaceX first offered the Mini dish as a rental in October, but only to certain customers in the US and Canada. At the time, the deal was described as a benefit for “loyal” Starlink customers. But the company has since folded the Mini kit rental into the standard Residential plan, which has been around since Starlink launched in late 2020 as a beta.
On social media, Starlink subscribers who’ve received the email invite have been pouncing on the deal. “Yep, I claimed this today as well. Seems like a no brainer if you travel at all,” wrote one user on Facebook.
Still, it's not clear if SpaceX is offering this to every existing Starlink Residential user in the US, or if this is just a second wave of limited invites. Some subscribers on Facebook say they’re still waiting, or have even resorted to contacting customer support. SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. However, in a support page, the company notes: “This offer is for select customers only. If you haven't received an email, you are not yet eligible.”
Though a "free" Starlink Mini sounds like a good deal, Residential Max subscribers will also need to add a Starlink Roam plan to their accounts for the Mini to work. Roam plans start at $5 per month for Standby mode and go up to $50 per month for the new Roam 100GB tier or $165 for Roam Unlimited, which features no cap on high-speed data. But in some good news, Residential Max subscribers will receive a 50% discount on Roam plans as an additional perk.
New Residential Max customers should also receive the free Mini rental offer. However, Starlink.com says the Mini dish perk arrives as an email invite after you checkout. “If you change your Residential service plan or cancel the service plan on your Mini, you must return the Mini or the cost will be charged to your payment method,” the company adds.