Starlink Revamps Data Plans and Raises Prices, Again! Roam Now $165/month – But Includes International & In-Motion Use

SpaceX is overhauling Starlink mobile service plans yet again - changing features and raising prices.

Depending on the type of nomadic user you are, some of these changes might be very welcome.

But for others, especially off-shore boaters, the changes could be painful.

One particularly welcome change is that the affordable "Roam—50 GB" plan, which was only available for the Starlink Mini, can now be used with any Starlink system.

Additionally, all Roam plans can now be used up to 100 MPH in motion and (on land) worldwide - eliminating the "home continent" regional restriction.

However, the ability to opt-in to higher priority (and offshore) data is being removed from Roam plans, making working in congested areas or keeping connected on ocean crossings a much more expensive proposition.

There are a lot of other changes to digest as well - so let's dive in...

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Starlink Mobile Service Price Is Going Up (Again!)

Starlink's previous price hike for its roaming service was in Feb. 2023 when the then "Starlink for RVs plan" went from $135 to $150 per month.

This current price hike is once again a $15/month increase - increasing the former "Mobile - Regional" and now named "Roam Unlimited" service from $150/month to $165/month.

This new pricing is already in effect for new customers ordering Starlink service, and it appears that current customers are not being grandfathered. Notices are going out indicating that the new pricing will apply starting on October 10th.

The downside of Starlink not using contracts with customers is that SpaceX can unilaterally make changes like this.

While not a huge price jump, this new pricing is definitely starting to make Starlink an even more expensive option compared to the many cellular services available for land-based nomads. 

"Roam - 50GB" is Now Available For Any Hardware

For those who do not need unlimited data, Starlink's service has actually gotten more affordable.

The "Mini Roam" plan, which debuted exclusively tied to the Starlink Mini, has been renamed "Roam—50GB," and it can now be paired with any Starlink system.

This plan includes all the new capabilities coming to Starlink Roam, including intercontinental roaming and in-motion usage. 

The catch with this plan is that usage is capped at 50GB/mo, but you can opt-in for additional data charged at a rate of $1/GB.

This means that users who need less than 150GB in a month can benefit greatly from selecting this plan.

The other catch with the Roam - 50GB plan is that the data is at the lowest priority on Starlink's network, potentially an issue in congested markets.

Unused data does not roll over to the next month, but users can switch to a higher-tier data plan and pay a prorated charge for the difference in price between the plans. 

This will be a popular backup solution for users who are trying to keep their Starlink costs under control or who are pairing Starlink with cellular options. 

Roam Goes Global, Including Coastal Waters

Starlink's Mobile Regional service previously only allowed you to connect in countries on your home continent.

The new Roam plans now support travel to any country where Starlink is licensed to provide service.

The plans support usage on land, inland waterways, and coastal areas up to 12 nautical miles from shore.

This means you no longer need a different global plan to connect to Starlink worldwide - as long as you remain on land or near the coast. 

Starlink's Roam service, however, can NOT be used on the open ocean.

Additionally, the option to opt-in to "Mobile Priority" data for temporary usage while making an ocean crossing has been eliminated.

In Motion Usage is Now Officially Supported!

While the original Starlink for RVs plan officially included in-motion usage, Starlink revamped its plans in May 2023, requiring opting into $2/GB mobile priority data to keep connected while traveling faster than 10 MPH.

This speed limit was fine for many cruising boaters - but it eliminated Starlink as an affordable way to keep passengers entertained while streaming on RV road trips.

Now, the in-motion speed limit has been increased to 100 MPH!

In practice, this is not a significant change since Starlink only rarely enforced the 10 MPH speed limit, but it is great to have highway speed connectivity officially supported now.

Over 100 MPH Requires Mobile Priority Data

While most typical nomads are not traveling over 100 MPH, there may be some nomads trying their hand racing in the Baja 1000, or flying around in their personal airplane.

If you want to stay connected with Starlink while moving in excess of 100 MPH, you will need to subscribe to a Mobile Priority plan to support that speed rush. 

It is unclear whether or not this plan supports orbital velocities, with Starlink service currently being tested in orbit on the Polaris Dawn mission. But that probably doesn't impact too many nomads at present. 

Starlink At Sea Gets Painful

While you no longer need Mobile Priority data to keep connected in motion, you still need Mobile Priority data to connect to Starlink while on the open ocean more than 12 miles from land.

In the past, you could opt-in for this data as needed on the $150/mo Mobile Regional plan for just $2/GB.

Not anymore.

Now the only plan that offers Mobile Priority data are the Mobile Priority plans.  

The base-level plan, at $250/month, is capped at 50 GB of Mobile Priority usage and then effectively becomes a Roam Unlimited plan with unlimited near-shore usage. 

If you need additional Priority data, you can opt-in for more as needed, paying $2/GB - or upgrade to their 1TB plan for $1000/mo.

But the painful catch is that your first 50GB of usage in a month will burn through your included priority data even if you do not need it until a crossing later in the month.

This makes Starlink an expensive and painful hassle for island-hopping cruisers who might only need Ocean data for a few days per month.

New Extended International Travel Limits?

It has always been pretty awesome that your Starlink service really doesn't change across international borders.

Unlike cellular connectivity, which usually has pretty extensive limitations while traveling internationally, especially data caps or lower speeds, Starlink is a bit different in that you can enjoy unlimited data wherever you travel.

For many nomads, traveling around their home continent between neighboring countries for extended periods of time didn't come with many restrictions until now.

Although Starlink has generally included some sort of verbiage in its FAQ/TOS stating that those who used Starlink for 2 months outside their home country may be forced to move their service address to that new country, it has rarely been enforced. It wasn't until recently that Starlink started using this 2-month limitation to cut off users who tried to use Starlink in a country where the service wasn't officially available.

In the latest plan revamps, Starlink redefined international travel use in available markets for all roaming plans and coastal coverage in territorial waters to be for up to 2 months per trip.

The "per trip" is a new addition to this 2-month limitation, suggesting that Starlink may force users to return their hardware to their home country or risk being cut off. 

The Starlink FAQ uses the following verbiage to describe this limitation

* International travel in available markets for up to 2 months per trip.
* Coastal coverage in territorial waters for up to 2 months per trip.

It was previously thought that as long as you kept moving outside your home country and didn't stay in any one country for two months at a time, you could travel internationally indefinitely without worrying about this two-month limitation. But this new terminology suggests that is not how Starlink intends to enforce this, and more likely, you can only travel up to two months at a time before being required to return your dish to your home country.

The Starlink TOS actually describes this limitation a little differently than the FAQ for both Roam Unlimited and Mobile Priority Plans, and as typical with Starlink, it's not clear how or if they will actually enforce this.

* If you use Roam Unlimited Services for more than two months in a calendar year in a country that is different than your account address, Starlink may require you to move your registered address to your new location or return to the country listed as your account address.

* If you use Mobile Priority Services for more than two months in a country that is different than your shipping address, Starlink may require you to move your registered address to your new location.

Starlink has a habit of not always enforcing its terms, so we'll have to see if they plan on enforcing this two-month limitation, but one enforcement has been made very clear.

If you attempt to use Starlink in a country not shown as available on the Starlink Map, your service will likely be cut off and suspended. 

Concluding Thoughts

While Starlink continues to dominate the global market, this, unfortunately, also means there aren't currently any competitors to keep them in check, and they are free to make drastic changes as they see fit.

We like to remind people that with Starlink, the plan and its benefits today may not exist tomorrow, so always have backups in mind that you may need to change. 

Although no one likes to see price increases, this price change is relatively minor. Some pretty significant changes give many Starlink users some new features they didn't have before, which may make the increase worth it:

• All mobile users now officially have in-motion support up to 100 MPH
• Roam Unlimited and Roam 50GB plans now include global international coverage
• Coastal water coverage up to 12 nautical miles from shore is now included. 

Land-based nomads who like to use Starlink in motion or travel internationally only for short periods of time benefit the most from these changes.

Light data users who didn't want to purchase the more expensive Mini dish now have the great option of using the Roam 50GB plan on any hardware. 

Boaters who frequently bounce in and out of ocean coverage or spend extended periods in other countries will probably see the largest hit to their wallet, and these new changes from Starlink are sure to generate outrage in the budget cruising community. 

 

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