Fans of “The Honeymooners” might be giving a Ralph Kramden shout on trying to sign up for Starlink internet service. “To the moon, Alice!” Of late, it seems signing up for residential service in some cities in the U.S. is like helping to pay for a lunar launch. If you thought Starlink’s one-time $750 “demand fee” was high, get ready. The $1,000 Starlink demand fee is a reality in certain areas of the Pacific Northwest. That fee is being added to new residential Starlink subscriptions, not mobile or RV plans.
$1,000 Starlink demand fee rattles users
A Reddit user first spotted the change while trying to sign up from Washington state, where Starlink now shows a $1,000 surcharge on top of the usual $349 equipment cost. That pushes the total cost for getting started to $1,349.
This higher fee is now appearing in places like Seattle, Spokane, Redmond, Portland (Oregon), and parts of northern Idaho, including Sandpoint. SpaceX, the company behind Starlink, says the fee is meant to slow down new signups in areas where the network is getting crowded. Too many users can mean slower internet speeds for everyone.
Originally, this extra charge started at $100 last year. Since then, it’s gradually climbed to $250, then $500, $750—and now $1,000. Despite the rising fee, people in these areas are still signing up, likely because Starlink offers faster or more reliable service than local options.
Internet speeds in Washington using Starlink currently range from 54 Mbps to 223 Mbps, which is slower than in some other parts of the country. That might be part of why SpaceX is trying to prevent even more users from joining in these spots.
Still some good news here
The good news? Not everyone has to pay the surcharge. In some parts of Washington, where Starlink has more network space available, you still just pay the standard $349 for the equipment. In other areas—including parts of Oregon and Idaho—SpaceX is actually giving away the dish for free if you agree to subscribe for 12 months.
For now, the $1,000 Starlink demand fee only applies to select high-demand areas and only for residential users. RVers and mobile internet users aren’t affected—for now, anyway.
RELATED
- Starlink satellite messaging and data available to all carriers’ subscribers this fall
- T-Mobile’s $10 Starlink texting plan now open to Verizon, AT&T customers
- T-Mobile and Starlink team up for cell service anywhere
- Ways to connect to the internet while traveling, and the pros and cons of each option
- Got Starlink? Scam alert for unsuspecting customers
- Starlink demand surcharge doubles—now higher than the dish itself
- Starlink for RVing—Every Starlink user needs to do this!
- 6 months of using Starlink on the road. Here’s what I think of it
RVT1216b
Just one more reason I’ll never spend a penny on anything associated with Musk.
Yeah, that big bad Musk. How dare him step up and propose eliminating waste, fraud and down right stealing from the federal budget!
I suppose Musk is forcing people to sign on to his service just to charge this fee…
Agree wholeheartedly. It will be a 1000 year embarrassment how people enthusiastically supported a man labeled by intelligence agencies around the world as the most dangerous man on earth. But he has competition for that title, of course.
Soros?
Thank you for the news, Russ and Tina! Prices are the most efficient (equitable? different question) allocation method for resources, goods, and services. Certainly a reasonable response to potential over-subscription. Might even be a good first-approximation for the degradation of service to all existing customers by the new/additional subscribers. Interesting and somewhat unusual a response to inadequate infrastructure. Surcharge could also aid in financing additional infrastructure to support the additional customers. Have a great day and safe travels!
Boycott Starlink.
That would solve the problem, huh. I really doubt you even have it.
What does this have to do with RV travel? This is about residential internet service in the northwest. The article says “the fee is meant to slow down new signups in areas where the network is getting crowded.” Why would RVers care?
It is a subtle political statement that allows those suffering from TDS and, more exact, MDS to post their “feelings.”
Hi, Keith. Possibly some folks in the Northwest have RVs?🤔 Just sayin’. Have a good day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
I’m one of many…..Local too!…Since 1948…
👍👍 Have a great day, David. 😀 –Diane
Su-kers have been muscadoodled.
Actually, it is called “Supply & Demand”, a concept I am sure is very foreign to you.
Not at all. You can wait in line on a waitlist or pay a surcharge to get it now. Disneyland has had a “fast pass” lane for years, this is the exact same approach.