Getty Images | Olegda88
SpaceX’s Starlink division has invited some potential users to try out its “global roaming” service for $200 a month. The new plan says, “Your Starlink will be able to connect from almost anywhere in the world.”
“Global Roaming utilizes Starlink’s inter-satellite links (aka space lasers) to provide connectivity around the world. Because this is a new technology, Starlink’s typical high-speed, low-latency services and You can expect a mix of brief connection failures, or none at all.However, this will improve dramatically over time.As more users sign up for the satellite service , the speed test data shows that the average speed of Starlink decreased.
At least some of the global roaming invitations appear to have been sent to people still on the waiting list for Starlink’s regular home internet service. “Participating in global roaming will not affect your residential services order,” he said in a Starlink email.
Global Roaming requires $200 per month plus an upfront payment of $599 for the Starlink hardware kit. Users who are unsatisfied with Global Roaming “can return the hardware for a full refund within 30 days,” the email said. The standard home Starlink service costs $110 per month, and the hardware costs the same $599.
Invitations sent to persons outside the Starlink service area
PCMag reported that “SpaceX has sent messages to at least two people living in countries where Starlink is not available, including Greenland.” This seems to suggest that SpaceX may use roaming services to move Starlink to countries not approved by the government.
However, the invitation email says that the roaming service requires regulatory approval and should only be used in “permitted” regions.
Global roaming payments are currently only available in USD. If you reside outside the United States, you are also responsible for acting as the importer of record for Starlink kits, including paying any customs duties and import taxes, if applicable. Global roaming services are subject to regulatory approval. Find the list of allowed territories on the Starlink map.
The $200/month price surprised some users. “It’s a great idea and exactly what I want, but $200 a month would be too expensive for most travelers I know,” one person wrote on his Starlink subreddit. Writing.
Starlink’s other portability options
Starlink already offers RV services for $135 a month, “$599 for portable hardware and $2,500 for on-the-go hardware.” However, his Starlink for RVs is limited to the user’s continent and is often slower than the standard plan. Customers who have been using Starlink for his RV in a foreign country for more than 2 months will need to move their account to a new location or purchase additional Starlink.
Starlink also allows resident users to pay an additional $25/month for mobile use in a ‘second location’ within the user’s continent. Both Starlink Portability and his RV option have lower service levels than the standard his Starlink plan.
“Starlink for RV and portable users is offered on a best effort basis and expects lower service levels than fixed users, especially in areas marked ‘low capacity’ on the coverage map. Service degradation is most extreme in “low capacity” areas during peak hours. ,” according to SpaceX’s support FAQ on RV and portability services.
According to Starlink’s Terms of Use, Portability Users “(a) understand and comply with all applicable laws and regulations relating to the use of the Portability Service and Kits; and (b) cease using the Portability Service or Kits. You are solely responsible for what you do in an unsupported geographic location.”
Additionally, existing portability option users staying in a secondary location “long…” may experience further performance degradation to accommodate priority users with registered service addresses. SpaceX has yet to post an FAQ regarding support for its Global Roaming service, but it’s likely to be less restrictive than Starlink’s existing portability options.
