Many folks rave about the Starlink satellite internet system. Go just about anywhere and you can still stay connected. For RVers, however, it meant buying a [regular] dish for the RV, and needing to have a residential subscription. Now there’s better Starlink for RVers. The company says you can buy a Mini Dish, roam where you want, and not have to pay for a residential subscription.
Better Starlink for RVers starts with Mini Dish. How much does it cost?
The first question many ask: How much does the equipment cost? A Starlink Mini Dish will set you back $599. That’s enough to make many do a bit of financial head-scratching. To sweeten the deal, Starlink says, “Buy the dish, and if you don’t like it, return it in a month and get your money back.”
But what about operating costs? Starlink’s monthly costs come in two flavors. On the cheap, Mini Roam. That plan is just $50 a month, and allows 50 GB of data before you hit the cap. Need more data? For $150 a month, Starlink’s Regional plan gives unlimited data.
Important shades of difference between plans
There are some shades of difference here. If you use the less-expensive Mini Roam, you can stay linked up to the internet while rolling down the road. Need more data? You’ll sacrifice the mobile-internet ability. Yes, you can move and stay connected, but only if you keep the speed down to 10 miles per hour, or less.
Regardless of your plan, you can move around and have internet access anywhere on the continent where your plan is registered by its mailing address for billing. U.S. users can motor up to Canada to say “Eh,” or down to Mexico, for a genuine margarita. If your footloose lifestyle wants to go farther south than Panama, you’ll need to switch to a global plan.
Could speed be a catch?
Another “catch” in the Mini Dish plan? Speed. With this plan, speeds are suggested to range from 5 to 50 Mbps. Expect that your speeds could be slower during times of high usage. People who pay more for premium plans get higher on the pecking order. One group observes you’re not exactly throttled, just “slowed.”
A better Starlink for RVers? For non-fulltiming RVers, the plan has a nice feature. You pay for the system when you need it. Snowbird for a few months? Turn it on, pay your monthly bill. Back home where you don’t need it? Turn it off, and then bring it back up the next time you hit the road.
Learn more about the plan, direct from Starlink.
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I have had StarLink for just over a month and LOVE it. I live in Utah but purchased while I’m in Oregon staying at an RV park. When I signed up I chose the residential plan of $120 per month and when I get ready to head back to Utah I will just change my address to the RV I’m staying at which will be four(4) different parks, might be a pain to some people but saving $$$ over the roam price of $150.
Forgot to add that I purchased the Gen 3
We do the same thing. We pay $120/month for residential and just move the service location as we travel across the country. We also have an unlimited TMobile that only costs $500/year. TMobile is our primary, Starlink is our backup.
TMobile has been our only source for 4 years now. Has worked everywhere we’ve been.
Is this for a residential gateway or a hotspot from TMobile? Thanks. I have a residential and plan on travelling with it.
Thank you, Russ and Tina! 🙂 Well, $600 for the mini dish is expensive, but the rest almost seems reasonable. Currently, we will make-do with a quilt of cell data plans — AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. One or more works fine for us wherever we go in the lower-48. We’ll watch DVDs while passing through Canada and visiting Alaska whenever either happens. Thanks for the update (but I do miss Randall’s feistiness 🤔😯😉)! Have a great week, safe travels, and stays! 🙂
Any updates on the Starlink/ T-Mobile nationwide coverage collaboration?
My understanding of use terms when the mini roam is tied to the residential plan; coverage will be geofenced to within the USA boundaries.
You can now get a Mini not tied to a residential plan…
I did have one sent to me via the residential plan. The use terms are more restrictive. That is where I found the info stating USA only. Different than the non-residential roam plan.
Our son set us up with Travlfi. We are in the middle of a 10 week journey and it has worked out great for us. My wife uses it while we are driving and if we get to a spot with public wifi it can be connected up to that to save on the data plan. The equipment is less expensive then starlink and there is a wide range of data plans. When we get home we just cancel until the next time we go. No fee to turn back on, just pick your data plan.
Here in NWFL TravlFi does not work where I camp, even when I’m at the State Park right down the road! It only works at my home which defeats the purpose, so I am returning it. Not worth paying $200 for a home Wi-Fi extender.
Sorry to here that, I also am from Fl and we have been camping all the way up to Ct and now working our way south again. The Travlfi has never once missed a beat under trees and in all kinds of weather. It always seems to find the next cell tower to connect to.
Got the mini dish this summer because a tree blocks our mounted DirecTV dish, and cellular signal a bit weak. DW could watch her “Hallmark Christmas in July”! Happy wife=Happy life. 🙂 The ability to pause service was the deciding factor.
NOPE ! Still too expensive.. I have Starlink, but have not used it for almost a year (my subscription on hold). I found T-Mobile’s Home Internet to be quite robust, in all regards, for only $30 per month added on to our Magenta Max Military plan. Never experienced speeds slower than 65mbps, and usually averaging 150-300mbps. I’m a Full-timer and travel all over the Country, and have yet to be in a location without service ! And as a side note, I just received an offer from Starlink to prepay for 6 months of service, and get an additional 6 months for free. (but it must be used within 12 months !
Ron I too am a T-Mobile customer also with the same plan. But I’m not a full timer yet so that is why I use my hot spot. Thanks for the heads-up on the home tower. Already have one and it delivers more speed than my old service to my house and I live in farm country.
2 Questions for the group…
Can the mini service speed support Zoom sessions?
What mobile equipment do I need to buy if I go with home service?
With a clear connection the Mini can absolutely support Zoom calls. But, if you are in an area with obstructions or with network congestion, you can get degraded service. We have the 2nd Gen, actuated Dishy on a “Mobile Regional” plan and I have done numerous Zoom calls without interruption in areas with a clear view of the sky!
Regarding equipment – for permanent home usage, you can get the “standard” dish setup and a residential plan – unlimited data, priority status on the network and full-time billing at $120 a month currently. (it was only $90 in some areas, depending on network saturation – it changes all the time!) The standard dish kit is also on sale in select areas currently.
continued…
You can also get either the Standard or Mini dish and a Mobile Regional plan ($150 mo) and operate it at your residence OR on the road. You have to take the equipment with you though. With the Mini, they also have the Mini Roam plan ($50 mo) mentioned in the above article. However, you can burn through 50GB much faster than you think, especially on Zoom calls! Best thing about the mobile focused plans is that you can pause them when not in use. My dish is in its case in my motorhome at the moment and it’s not costing me anything. Heading out? You simply re-activate the service and off you go! Good luck!
I use the Mobile Hotspot on my phone. I get 50 gb a month and my wife gets another 50 and like the StarLink, if I can I use the Wi-Fi from the campground I can turn my phone into a booster. We had a dish but there were too many issues with it.
We tried the cellular with booster route and it was just to hit and miss. Too often we go to where there is no cell signal to boost. StarLink is the best choice and hotspot off the phones if too many trees but within cell signal range.
Not sure where y’all are seeing $150/mo for Roam. Starlink’s website says $165/mo. https://www.starlink.com/roam
Thanks for catching that, Chris. When that post you commented on was written, it was $150/mo. I’ve updated the amount to $165/mo. in today’s post about the special price on the Starlink Mini. Have a good evening/night. 😀 –Diane
Doh! I arrived at this article from today’s “Breaking News” newsletter. I didn’t notice that the linked article was from July. So of course it’s now 10% higher…😒
But the author used the $150 from the previous post, and I didn’t catch that. So thanks for pointing it out, Chris. Have a warm and cozy night. (At least we don’t have snow. I just walked at the track and even with gloves on, my fingers are still numb, not to mention my frozen, bare ears.) 😀 –Diane