Starlink is a broadband internet service by Elon Musk’s SpaceX that utilizes low orbit satellites. It is exciting for RVer’s because Starlink will deliver high-speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable, expensive, or completely unavailable. Starlink just opened its public beta and released its pricing and it is shockingly competitive.
Pricing
The upfront cost of SpaceX Starlink Beta will be $499 for the satellite dish, tripod, and router to connect to the Starlink satellites. The monthly fee was listed as $99. That is surprisingly cheap for what you get. It is less than the price of a new iPhone and monthly service fee from any cell carrier for unlimited internet.
Related: RV Internet (How we stay connected on the road)
Don’t get too excited yet though! The public beta invite was only sent to those who live in the very northern states. This is because of the need for more SpaceX satellites to ensure 24×7 coverage of the remaining US before it is made available. There have been 895 Starlink satellites launched into low Earth orbit already with approximately 120 new ones launched each month. That means that we should have total coverage sometime in 2021.
Better Than Nothing Beta
Before you start getting too jealous of those selected for the SpaceX Starlink Beta that live in the northern states, you should know that this beta is nicknamed the “Better Than Nothing Beta”. In SpaceX’s announcement, they tried to lower expectations of the initial service and said “Expect to see data speeds vary from 50Mb/s to 150Mb/s and latency from 20ms to 40ms over the next several months as we enhance the Starlink system. There will also be brief periods of no connectivity at all.”
Overall we are excited by this announcement and the progress of Starlink. What do you think? Too Expensive? Not going to work? Let us know in the comments below!
It sounds rather expensive to me, but I find I can get along without internet for longer periods of time than other people. I don’t rely on it for much more than entertainment and casual communication.
Jason – great news on StarLink as I’ve been following progress as well. My wife and I are starting full-timing in January 2021 and I’m thinking I won’t invest too many $$ in 4G/Cell/Router solutions since StarLink will hopfully be viable for full timers mid 2021. The only issue of course will be “sky” access which in some locations isn’t without challenges!
Love your content and watching your channel!
If it does give us coverage across the US that would be awesome. Hopefully the purchase price and the monthly price stays locked in and doesn’t change like Togo with AT&T changed this year.
Just what I was hoping for from my Dish network… but they had no such option… they’ve gotta be rattled by this announcement! Competition… bring it on!
I think the cost for dish and receiver is about average But the price per month is high unless there are at least 100 channels and it is truly unlimited.
My wife and I won’t be going full time for another year and a half. I am hoping in that time the starlink system gets much more coverage over the US as well as coming down a little in price. I am very excited about this option!
This is not the fix all. Requires wide open sky, expensive and be years before full coverage. Only covers northern tier states and parts of Canada. Doesn’t cover Alaska according to reports.
People must understand these satellites are in low earth orbit, not in geosynchronous like the tv satellites. As each satellite moves in and out of the antenna view, another will have to fill in. If trees, buildings, hills, cliffs are in the way the view is very restricted. And at this point there are big gaps in satellite coverage so internet will be spotty. With sat TV you can move so you can “see” the satellite, it won’t move. Starlink satellites are always moving so your view must be a clear, wide uninterrupted view of the sky.
And nowhere have I seen the ability to us VOIP for calls. Calls will drop (end) if you loose your view of the satellite (think trees).
This may be a fix for some people, but I’m going to wait as this develops.
The wife an I are starting to full time mid 2021 I think it would be worth it
I’m looking forward to Starlink…anything will be better than all the set up needed to get bad wifi. Routers, cell phones, hotspots, antennas outside, antennas inside, etc. If you add up all of that stuff, the pricing sounds a whole lot less with Starlink. Now…we can only hope for fast speeds!
Pam
Been waiting for this. Elon will get it right and change how Internet providers do things. Love the intro branding. “Better than nothing”