What Is Starlink?

For those who aren't familiar with it, Starlink is a satellite internet service from SpaceX, Elon Musk's commercial space business. Using thousands of low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites, it's a way to get high-speed internet to nearly everyone, even people who live far from the usual cable and fiber networks that most ISPs rely on. It's not as fast as those alternatives, but in rural areas where DSL and satellite are your only options, it's the better performer of the two, by far.

It's not a perfect solution, and it can be a bit expensive from month to month, but as a full-time Starlink user, I've been a happy customer. You can learn more about Starlink internet plans, service, and equipment in our full review.

How to Get Starlink

Getting Starlink is easier than it has ever been. With installation kits sold through retailers like Best Buy, Home Depot, Target, and Walmart, the waitlists and limited availability of years past are over. Wherever you live in North America (and much of the world), Starlink is available and ready to provide speedy service. ,p.It's also more affordable right now than it has ever been. The residential installation kit used to be a sizable investment, with basic equipment priced at $599. That later dropped to $499, and the kit now sees frequent discounts below that. Subscribers in some areas where Starlink has extra capacity may be able to get a further equipment discount in the form of a credit on their monthly bills, or even get free equipment. Meanwhile, the newer Starlink Mini kit, which is intended for roaming use, is available for $499. ,p.How Much Does Starlink Service Cost?

The trade-off for the dropping equipment prices is high monthly bills. Residential service is $120 per month for the full-speed plan, more expensive than the average cable internet bill. A reduced-speed plan is available for $80 per month. On the plus side, neither of these plans has data caps. Meanwhile, the absolute cheapest plan, which Starlink intends for use with the Mini kit in RVs, is $50 per month but is limited to 50GB of data per month.

By: DocMemory
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