(Credit: US Mobile)
SpaceX is offering a steep discount on Starlink’s Residential plans through a new partnership with prepaid carrier US Mobile.
After teasing the partnership earlier this week, US Mobile today confirmed that it's bundling its wireless plans with Starlink. New and existing customers can score the deal, which reduces the cost of all three Starink Residential plans by $20.
(Credit: US Mobile)This means Residential 100Mbps starts at $30 per month for existing US Cellular customers who add Starlink to their accounts, a new apparent low from the usual $50. For new customers, bundles go as low as $47 per month if the subscriber pays for one year up-front. If you pay monthly, the Starlink deal is only good for six months before it reverts to the normal monthly fee, according to a disclaimer on US Mobile’s website.
(Credit: US Mobile)The other limitation is that the deal might not be available in your ZIP code. On the US Mobile website, we found that the deal is not available in Mason County, Washington, an area where Starlink is currently congested, and new customers are required to pay an extra $1,500 “demand surcharge” to sign up for the residential plans.
Still, the promotion means someone can save $120 on Starlink over six months. Customers will also receive the standard Starlink dish for free as a rental, per SpaceX's usual policy. That said, some US Mobile customers are disappointed with the promotion, arguing that it's not a whole lot better than SpaceX's own discounts.
But in an email to interested customers, US Mobile noted: “Existing customers qualify for this exclusive rate without an additional mobile plan purchase. The Starlink Kit for Residential has no up-front cost or monthly fee. The offer supply is extremely limited, so act fast!”
The carrier's CEO has also indicated that US Mobile will expand the bundle to include the Starlink Roam service, enabling customers to use satellite internet in more than one location.
Last month, SpaceX ran a similar promotion, but only discounted the Starlink Residential plans by $11 (versus $20). Starlink.com has since changed the promotion, shaving $15 off the Residential tiers, but only for four months.