Key points:
- Roam Unlimited Users can now experience restricted access after 60 consecutive days in "Sold Out" areas on Starlink's availability map.
- Starlink could also limit the ability to start, unpause, or change to Roam Unlimited plans in "Sold Out" areas.
- Roam users may still have extended access to the Roam 50GB or 10GB in these sold-out areas.
Starlink Roam plans are not tied to a specific service address, and users on these plans are free to roam to any area that Starlink offers service, including worldwide access and in motion, with very few restrictions on when or how they can be used. The main downside of that data use is deprioritized behind higher priority plans like the Residential plan.
However, a recent change in the Terms of Service (TOS) added new restrictions for Roam Unlimited users in areas marked "Sold Out" on the Starlink map for residential service. In some cases, these "Sold Out" areas will also affect Roam Unlimited users under some circumstances.
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Starlink Adds Restrictions To Roam Unlimited
Starlink added a new section under its TOS describing new limitations for users of the Roam Unlimited Service plan in areas marked "Sold Out" on the Starlink availability map.
Here is the new verbiage:
"Roam Unlimited users in an area with high network congestion where Residential Services are marked as “Sold Out” on the Starlink map for longer than 60 consecutive days, Starlink may, in its sole discretion, (i) require you to pay a fee or upgrade to a different Service plan; or (ii) limit your access to the internet so you may only access your Starlink account on www.starlink.com. In the event your access to the internet is limited under (ii), you will continue to be charged the monthly Service fee unless you pause or cancel your Service."
The biggest change is that Roam Unlimited users can be cut off from internet usage after 60 consecutive days in "Sold Out" areas, or charge customers a fee or require switching to a different plan.
We have not yet seen reports of enforcement of this provision as of yet. Starlink has historically been inconsistent at enforcing its own terms. Since this is a new TOS change, users may not have crossed this threshold yet.
Users Unable to Access Roam Unlimited Plan Option
However, we have seen reports of another restriction not mentioned directly in the TOS—the inability of users in Sold Out areas to start, unpause, or change to Roam Unlimited.
Here are some of what the reports we've seen:
- Customers currently on a Roam 50GB that are unable to change to the Roam Unlimited plan
- Customers who currently have a paused Roam Unlimited plan and are unable to resume service on that plan.
These new restrictions are a big change from when Starlink Roam Unlimited was always available and worked anywhere with little to no restrictions.
Confirmed reports are limited, but users should still have access to activate or switch to the Roam 50GB or 10GB plans in these "Sold Out" areas. However, if you use a lot of data, your costs can quickly exceed the $165 of Roam Unlimited.
Starlink does not cap your bill at $165 if you are on the Roam 50GB plan and exceed 165GB in data. You will continue to incur charges at $1/GB for each GB of data used, so keep that in mind to avoid having a large bill if you are on the 50GB plan.
At the time of this article, we checked and customers could still order a dish with Roam Unlimited service and have it shipped to an address in a sold-out area. The website currently doesn't warn customers about this new restriction during the initial purchase process.
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Conclusion
Starlink, like any network, has to manage capacity, and currently, there are several "Sold Out" areas where customers cannot sign up for Residential service due to capacity constraints.
Historically, this hasn't affected customers on Roam plans, but now, with this TOS change, Starlink may be restricting Roam Unlimited users who stay in a sold-out area for more than 60 days. While Starlink has not specified the reason for this change, it's possible that residential customers were ordering Roam service and using it as a fixed-location option.
As we preach here at MIRC, the best option for staying connected as a nomad is connection redundancy because you never know when a specific plan or option may not work.
If you find yourself in areas where Starlink is sold out, you may need to turn to cellular options to stay connected long-term or consider changing to a different, tiered data plan.
Starlink has once again proven that the plan you have today may not be available tomorrow, and they can change the rules as they see fit.
Further Reading
- Starlink Satellite Internet For Mobile RV And Boat Use - Our featured guide focused on taking advantage of SpaceX's Starlink on the go.
- Mobile Satellite Internet Options -
Our featured guide on all the current and future satellite internet options of interest to RVers and cruisers. - All our our Satellite Internet Resources - Our collection of guides, gear center entries and news coverage on satellite internet.
- Industry Update: Mobile Satellite Internet for RVers & Boaters – Early 2024 Update: Starlink, Kuiper, Direct To Cellular, and Beyond! - Our deep dive into the state of the satellite internet world.
And here is all of our recent satellite internet coverage:
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