Key points:
- Starlink completely revamped its Priority plan lineup this week.
- Priority plans now have a monthly "terminal/kit access" fee of either $40/month for Local or $150/month for Global, in addition purchasing data in 50 or 500GB data buckets.
- The new plans eliminate unlimited high-speed data - once the priority data bucket is used, speeds drop to 1 Mbps down and 500 Kbps up until the next month, or until a new bucket of priority data is purchased.
- Current Business Priority and Mobile Priority plan holders will not be grandfathered, and will be switched to these new plans.
Anyone who has followed Starlink at all in the last couple of years knows that the company loves to make frequent changes to its plan lineup and terms of service. Leaks last October indicated major change was coming to Starlink's lineup of global and business-focused priority plans, and they rolled those changes out this week.
Starlink offers two plan type tiers, one aimed more at consumers and the other at businesses and what Starlink calls "high-demand" users.
The first tier includes the consumer-focused plans of Residential and Roam. These are the plans that most our audiences uses and are familiar with, including those who travel in RVs and boats.
Residential and Roam plans have not changed (at this time).
Starlink's "Priority" plans are the second tier of plans aimed more at business, enterprise, and high-demand users - there were fixed and mobile versions of the plans. These plans include the highest level of data priority - delivering higher speeds, especially when in congested markets.
Starlink is revamping these plans. Of particular relevance to our audience, Mobile Priority data has been required for use by the boating and cruising community who need access while transiting areas considered to be ocean waters.
Let's dig into the details of Starlink's changes to the Priority plans...
Table of Contents
Starlink Priority Data Plan Changes Video
Plan Change Details
The fixed location Priority and Mobile Priority plans are now replaced with "Local Priority" and "Global Priority" plans. The names, pricing, and plan terms have all changed.
- Local Priority includes mobile land use for a single country (replacing the previous fixed location only Priority plans)
- Global Priority includes mobile use, including oceans, around the globe (replacing the Mobile Priority plans).
With Local Priority now including mobile land use for a single country, it becomes an intriguing option for some nomads to consider if they want to get higher priority data than the Roam's 'best effort' service provides. The 500GB option has the same $165/month price tag as the Roam Unlimited plan, and can help deliver faster speeds especially in congested markets.
As is typical with Starlink, there is no grandfathering. Current Priority customers will be automatically moved to Local Priority, and Mobile Priority customers will be moved to Global Priority at their next billing period.
Note: The Local Priority plan's terms and pricing will vary depending on the country where the service is registered. The information below pertains to US-based Local Priority terms and pricing; other countries will differ.
By contrast, Global Priority plans have the same pricing globally. Some terms will not apply to countries where Starlink doesn't have the legal authority to provide certain features.
Both plans now include in-motion use (with different speed limits—Local Priority: 350 mph, Global Priority: 550 mph), except in countries where Starlink is not authorized to provide in-motion service, such as Mexico and Japan.
Let's dig into the other changes:
Terminal or Kit Access Fee
Plans now include a monthly "terminal access fee" or "kit access fee" that is a separate cost from data.
The base terminal fee is $40/month for Local Priority, and $150/month for Global Priority.
You cannot just pay the terminal access fee however—plans must include a monthly priority data purchase, and the minimum amount is 50 GB.
Pricing for the data buckets depends on which plan you're on:
Local Priority ($40 terminal fee, plus):
- 50GB - $25 ($0.50/GB)
- 500GB - $125 ($0.25/GB)
Global Priority ($150 terminal fee, plus):
- 50GB - $100 ($2/GB)
- 500GB - $500 ($1/GB)
Data purchases are good for the current billing month, or until used - and does not roll over to the next month.
At sign up, customers can select to include multiple buckets of data to start each month off with - here are some sample possible monthly pricing inclusive of the terminal fee:
Local Priority:
- 50 GB - $65/mo
- 500 GB -$165/mo
- 1 TB - $290/mo
- 2 TB - $540/mo
Global Priority:
- 50 GB - $250/mo
- 500 GB -$650/mo
- 1 TB - $1,150/mo
- 2 TB - $2,150/mo
Additional Data Pricing
Customers can also opt-in to automatically get another data bucket when the current one is used up. There is no longer the option to get recurring overage data 1 GB at a time. If you use up your bucket of data, you must buy another 50GB or 500GB bucket or be restricted to very slow speeds. If you opt into automatic top-ups, they come in 50 GB increments.
Note: Customers who transition from the previous Priority plans or sign up for service for the first time will NOT have automatic data top-ups enabled, but they can opt in or out of this feature at any time.
Unlimited High Speed Data Gone
The previous Priority plans defaulted to providing unlimited, 'best effort' (same as Roam data) level data once the bucket of high-priority data was used up. That benefit is now gone from both Local and Global Priority.
Those previously using Mobile Priority for ocean crossings were already used to needing to purchase capped Priority data when away from land, but could continue to get unlimited high speed data once they arrived to their destination.
With the new Priority plans, unlimited data continues for the rest of the month but is throttled to 1 Mbps download and 0.5 Mbps upload. This assumes the line is not opted-in to automatically purchase additional priority data.
It's not clear in Starlink's terms however if these data throttles will apply when in ocean waters (which would be a benefit to retain some connectivity), or if additional buckets of Global Priority data will be required to be purchased. But once at dock or anchor at their destination global cruisers will need to purchase more priority data for full speed connections, until they can switch data plans.
Ocean, Territorial Water, Inland Waterway Use Changes
At press time, Starlink has not fully updated its documentation and is contradictory about ocean use in particular.
Territorial water use is defined as the legal national territorial water (TTW) limit, which is 12 nautical miles (NM) off the coast. Ocean use is considered any ocean beyond the 12NM limit, including some islands. Inland waterways include lakes, rivers, etc. that are not oceans and are considered land.
The Local Priority plan does not include coastal/TTW water or ocean use - it's intended to be a land-based plan. The Global Priority plan includes coverage everywhere around the globe that Starlink can legally provide service, including territorial waters and the open ocean.
Additionally, Starlink's terms of service do not clearly state whether the 1 Mbps unlimited throttled data is available everywhere, such as in the open ocean with the Global Priority plan.
Business VS Consumer Plans
The new priority plans are specifically geared toward business customers and Starlink has made changes to segregate business accounts from personal/consumer accounts. For example, Starlink now says that the Roam plans are no longer options to switch to for customers with a business account. To change to a Roam plan, business account users must create a new personal account and transfer the Starlink dish.
Additionally, when signing up for the Priority plans, Starlink now includes a check-box, enabled by default, that designates the plan for business use. While not confirmed, leaving this box checked will likely create a business account. Unchecking the box allows for creating a personal account, which can be more easily switched later to consumer plans like Residential or Roam.
Unless you have a compelling need for a business account, we recommend using "personal use" when initially signing up for one of these plans. This requires you to uncheck the "Order For Business Use" option when adding a dish and plan to your cart on Starlink's website.
We have verified that the new Local & Global Priority plans are options to switch to for those on consumer accounts, making a consumer account the more flexible option.
Reasons To Consider A Local Or Global Priority Plan
As noted earlier, most consumers opt for Residential and Roam plans.
The new Priority plans are worth considering for those with some specific needs:
- Boaters who spend significant time in ocean areas, whether it's hopping between the Bahamas and the US or cruising around the Caribbean. Data coverage in the open ocean is restricted to the Global Priority plan, and this plan is also the only plan that doesn't have restrictions for extended-duration international travel. While the terms of service for the consumer Roam plan still indicate that Global Priority data can be purchased for that plan, Roam does come with time restrictions on international and coastal water use.
- Those who need high-priority data. Starlink offers three priority tiers of service: priority, standard, and best effort. The priority data that comes with the Local and Global Priority plans will always be at the head of the line in areas where congestion might be a problem. With mobility now supported, Local Priority plans in particular are attractive for land based (including inland cruisers) nomads sticking to a single country who desire the highest priority data.
Opting Into Global Priority Data From Consumer Plans
One of the areas Starlink has not clarified with these plan changes is whether consumers on a Roam Unlimited plan will still be able to opt-in to the data needed for ocean coverage and, if so, what this may look like. Previously, it was possible (and still is currently for the time being) for users on the Roam Unlimited plan to opt in for $2/GB to have coverage on the ocean and opt out again when not needed.
The TOS and FAQ have conflicting information on this, as shown below, so we are unable to make a clear determination at press time.
In the TOS, we have found the statements listed below:
"Roam Unlimited Services cannot be used on the open ocean"
"Starlink may permit Roam Unlimited users to opt-in to purchase Global Priority data. Such permission may be revoked by Starlink in its sole discretion at any time."
"Roam Unlimited Service users with high bandwidth, ocean or active coverage access needs are able to upgrade their Service Plan."
This is from an FAQ on ocean use:
If you are on the Roam Unlimited service plan you will need to opt-in to Global Priority data to use Starlink on international waters.
Last fall, Starlink sent emails alerting customers that the ability to opt-in to Mobile Priority Data for ocean use was going away. However, they changed their mind and said they would wait until they had an easier way for users to switch between plans. The changes to Local and Global priority may be the harbinger of this change.
We will continue to watch reports and see what users experience to better communicate with our audience what path consumer-based boaters with occasional ocean use will need to follow to stay connected along the coastline and during passages.
Coastal Ocean Coverage Limits
One change we are likely to see enforced is the Coastal Ocean Coverage limits that were added to the Roam plans in the FAQ, but have not been enforced yet. These limit Roam plans' use off the coast up to 12NM for 5 consecutive days or a maximum of 60 days over a one-year period.
If this change is to be enforced, then coastal usage over these amounts would likely force a user to change plans to maintain connectivity.
It's important to note however that Starlink has more clearly defined that marinas, inland waterways and coastlines are not completely considered oceans anymore - so boaters who stick in these areas may be safe on land based plans like Roam, Residential or Local Priority.
Concluding Thoughts
Keeping up with changes at Starlink is always challenging because they frequently change things nonintuitively. Once they do make a change, it can take them some time to align all their documentation with the new terms, creating confusion as to which information is current and accurate.
This latest move to retire the previous Priority plan options and replace them with Local Priority and Global Priority is no exception.
For our audience of nomads living, traveling, working, or vacationing in vans, boats, and RVs, the new plans add even more options (and confusion) as to what is the right choice for any given situation. And the loss of unlimited non-priority data on Priority plans after the data cap is reached will be a negative change for some - increasing costs to stay abundantly connected for higher data users.
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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