Starlink Offers a $40 Discount in 30 States. But There's a Catch
Starlink just got a lot more affordable for customers in 30 states. The internet service provider now offers a cheaper alternative to its $120 monthly Residential plan. This new plan -- dubbed Residential Lite -- brings the cost down to $80 per month. However, that means slower speeds and some other compromises.
According to the Starlink FAQ section, the Residential Lite plan offers download speeds of 45 to 130 megabits per second with no data caps. The satellite internet service initially rolled out to 15 US states in March, but has since added another 15.
Read more: Ontario Contract With Starlink Is Canceled Even if Tariffs Are Lifted
The Residential Lite plan at $80 a month is now available in 30 states.
Starlink
The less expensive plan has some caveats. It's half the speed of the Residential plan, which boasts download speeds of 100 to 270Mbps. In addition, Starlink acknowledges that Residential Lite plans will be the first to be deprioritized, which may result in lower speeds during peak hours.
"This service plan will be deprioritized compared to Residential service during peak hours," Starlink says. "This means speeds may be slower for Residential Lite service relative to Residential service when our network has the most users online."
Locating local internet providers
Peak hours are generally between 6 to 11 p.m. on weekdays. That's right around when everyone finishes work and school and sits down to eat dinner, play video games or watch some Netflix before bed. Starlink says its network is a "finite resource" until the company can reach a peak number of Starlink satellites. Thus, Residential Lite subscribers may experience slow internet speeds if enough people are online.
The big picture for low-income households
The Affordable Connectivity Program ended last year, due to funds running out. Before the ACP ended, the government subsidized low-income households from $30 to $75 per month to help them get internet in their homes. The end of the program saw around 23 million households lose their internet connection. While Congress has not yet passed a similar bill or found a way to revive the ACP, other low-cost internet options exist.
At $80 per month, the Residential Lite plan from Starlink is quite affordable for satellite internet service, but it's still not quite as good a deal as faster broadband plans from major ISP providers. For instance, I pay $80 per month to Spectrum for much faster, 600Mbps download speeds. For around the same price, Cox offers 250Mbps. AT&T Fiber's 300Mbps plan is $55 monthly, and Xfinity is even cheaper with a 400Mbps plan at a starting price of $40.
People looking for cheap internet have more affordable broadband options than Starlink's Residential Lite tier. But this less expensive, albeit slower, plan could appeal to those in rural areas without many ISP options.
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