Not too long ago, it would sound like a dream getting internet connectivity in the middle of a trek or sitting far away from the city to stargaze at the night sky. But thanks to products like Starlink, which essentially beams internet from satellite to a dish mounted on your roof, tent, or car, that dream is a reality now. Starlink's service covers the entirety of North America and has also expanded coverage to numerous pockets in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Australia, and Africa. If you're based
in the U.S., you won't have to worry about coverage in dark zones, as long as you are sitting under clear skies and have a power supply handy for the Starlink receiver dish.
The real concern, however, is the price. The satellite internet service starts as low as $50 per month, but depending on the plan you pick, the monthly bill can go up to $2,150. Now, Starlink is offered across two tiers, and each one is separated across personal and business categories. The first one is Residential coverage, which means you intend to use the satellite internet service at a fixed spot, like home or workspace.
The Roaming tier is the more interesting one, because it allows satellite internet connectivity even on the move, both inside the U.S. as well as internationally. Starlink isn't the best solution for everyone, however, and there are a few challenging factors that you must consider before splurging on it. But if you're in the U.S., you're mostly on the safe side.
Read more: 10 Must-Have Smart Home Devices For Your Outdoor Spaces
How To Pick The Right Starlink?
Now, before you go shopping for Starlink, there are a few aspects you should keep in mind. What dish size is perfect for you? Are you looking for an at-home setup or chasing an on-the-go satellite internet convenience? If you're eyeing the Residential Plan for personal usage, the entry-level Residential Lite plan starts at $80 per month, while the Residential package will set you back by $120 each month. Both plans offer unlimited data, as long as you intend to use the connection from a fixed location. But there are a few crucial differences you must keep in mind.
The Residential Lite plan offers "unlimited amount of deprioritized data," which means the speed will fall in the 45-130 Mbps range, significantly slower than the 100-270+ Mbps output promised for the base Residential plan. Upload speeds, on the other hand, will peak at 20 Mbps. It's also worth keeping in mind that the Residential Lite plan is not available everywhere, even though more than half of the United States is covered. You can check the map-based availability of the cheapest Starlink residential plan on the website.
Of course, you will also have to bear the installation costs, as well. The Standard Kit is priced at $349, assuming you plan to install it yourself. The company now offers rooftop installation service, as well, but that will cost you another $185, alongside a mount that you will have to purchase separately. You can save some money and buy a refurbished Standard Kit for just $199 in the U.S.
The Best Of Starlink
The most appealing aspect of Starlink's satellite internet service is its 'plug and play anywhere' approach, a benefit you can avail with the Roam plans, or by becoming a business customer. The Roam plan for country-wide coverage starts at $50 per month for the 50GB plan, and goes up to $165 per month for the unlimited data benefit. It allows country-wide coverage, supports international travel (only two months per trip), and supports coastal coverage, too. The kit for the Roam plan starts at $499
Starlink's Business plans offer more legroom compared to the Personal residential plan, even though they are pricier. The biggest difference is that business plans don't offer unlimited data facilities. You can pick the Local Priority plan starting at $65 per month for 50GB data, and go up to 2TB at $540 each month. If you pick the Roam plan for personal usage, the base 50GB plan costs $50 per month, while the unlimited tier will have you spending $165 each month.
The benefits include nationwide coverage, international movement, and of course, in-motion usage. This plan allows single-country land use and regional travel, and alongside fixed as well as in-motion usage. If you travel abroad, there's the Global Priority package for Business users. It starts at $250 per month for 50GB data, goes up to $2,150 per month for 2TB data, and enables global land and ocean-based usage for a total of 60 days each year. Business customers can also add extra data to their package, which starts at $25 each month for 50GB data, and goes up to $500 per month for 500GB of global usage.
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