SpaceX’s Starlink is upgrading company’s cheapest plan at $50-per-month by doubling the amount of monthly data from 50GB to 100GB.
On Tuesday, the company announced the change in a support page on Starlink.com, saying the “Roam 50GB is now Roam 100GB.”
The other difference is how the Roam 100GB plan can continue offering satellite internet access, even after the data cap is exceeded. Instead, the connection will be downgraded to speeds under 1Mbps, or what SpaceX calls “unlimited low-speed data.”
In contrast, the original Roam 50GB plan required the user to pay up for additional data at rate of $1 per GB, otherwise SpaceX would cut off the access for the rest of the month.
(Starlink.com)
Importantly, the Roam plan is remaining “at no additional cost and in most markets,” the company wrote in the support document, giving existing subscribers a free benefit.
Still, there’s one change that might rankle some users: The company has decided to remove the option to pay extra for more monthly data at normal speeds.
(Starlink.com)
This means subscribers will need to upgrade to the pricier $165-per-month Roam Unlimited plan to receive consistently high download speeds beyond the 100GB cap. “With the exception of Ocean Mode, per-GB data purchases are no longer available on Roam plan,” the company added.
Under the unlimited, but low-speed data for the Roam 100GB, SpaceX says that users will “still be connected for basic use like calls and texts, but activities such as streaming, downloading, and video calls may be limited.”
Some Starlink subscribers on social media are already praising SpaceX for making the change, which has appeared for customers in the US and Canada. “This is awesome news, and means I will most likely just leave my (Starlink) Mini powered on when I’m in the truck, instead of only turning it on when I’m out of cell service,” wrote one user on Reddit.
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That said, other customers are urging SpaceX to raise the unlimited low-speed data connection from 1Mbps to a higher rate at 5Mbps or 10Mbps. “Make all plans unlimited and charge for different speed plans,” wrote a separate user.
The Starlink Roam plans stand out for letting you receive satellite internet in more than one location and even on-the-go. The company also offers the “Residential” tier for home internet customers, but usage is restricted to one address.
SpaceX is also offering the unlimited low-speed data feature for the $5 “Standby” mode, which was introduced last year, but mainly as a new way to pause your Starlink connectivity, and turn it into a backup service. The data speed on Standby is capped even lower at 0.5Mbps.
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About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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