Starlink Mini Dish Now Available To All – With Nomad Friendly Data Plans!

SpaceX released the mobile friendly Starlink Mini system last month - for the first time offering a small DC-powered Starlink option wonderfully suited for off-grid RV's and boats.

But the Mini was offered in the USA via invitation only, and only to those who were interested in adding it on to existing fixed-location residential Starlink service.

And frustrating many - the data plans offered with the Starlink Mini (in the USA, at least) were anything BUT nomad friendly, capped at just 50 GB of usage a month.

When would SpaceX actually offer the Starlink Mini to the broader audience of nomads - with a data plan actually suitable for keeping a nomadic household online? 

It seems that the answer is.... today.

SpaceX's website has now been updated to offer the Starlink Mini as an option to all new customers in the USA - with no need for an existing residential account.

And you can now order the Starlink Mini with the $150/mo unlimited-usage Mobile Regional plan, or a $50/mo Mini Roam plan that is capped at just 50GB usage a month.

Other Starlink Mini details have been clarified as well - particularly around in-motion usage and pausing service when not needed.

Read on for all the exciting details!

Read our stories from last month for more on the Starlink Mini hardware and power consumption details, and the first reaction to the initial Mini Roam plan:

• UPDATED: Elon Teases Starlink Mini Details – Cheaper Hardware and Subscription Cost?
• Starlink Mini Dish Launched – Disappointing “Mini Roam” Data Plan Dashes Nomadic Dreams
• Analysis: Why Is Starlink Mini Affordable & Unlimited In Central America, But Not In USA?

Starlink Mini for RV and Boats Video

 

Starlink Mini Plans Compared

SpaceX is offering the Starlink Mini hardware in the USA for $599, a $100 premium over the Starlink Standard.

Interestingly - in the few international markets where the Starlink Mini has launched, it is debuting at a lower price than the Starlink Standard. For example - in Panama, the Mini is being sold for just $200.

When ordering the Starlink Mini, you have two plan options.

Mobile Regional

This is the same plan that has been available for Starlink Standard.

• Unlimited (lower priority) data.
• In-motion usage, under 10mph.
• Pausing service supported.
• Works anywhere (on land) on your home continent, though travel outside your home country for more than two months at a time might be an issue.
• Opt-in "Priority Data" for $2/GB offers high-speed (faster than 10mph) in motion usage, and on-ocean usage.
• $150/mo

This plan is the best fit for most full-time nomads.

Mini Roam - 50GB

This plan is currently exclusively available with the Starlink Mini.

• 50GB of usage included. Additional data opt-in at $1/GB.
• In-motion usage at highway speeds.
• Pausing service supported.
• Must be initially activated in your home country. It is currently unclear what other international roaming restrictions might apply.
• Land usage only - does not support open water usage.
• $50/mo

This plan is a great fit for those with more limited data needs. You can always upgrade to Mobile Regional when more data is needed.

Mini Roam + Residential

SpaceX also is still making the "Mini Roam + Residential" bundle available - which adds on a Starlink Mini system to an existing Starlink Residential ($120/mo) system for $30/mo, bringing the bundled price to $150/mo for these two lines of service.

The Mini Roam + Residential service can not be paused when not needed, and canceling the Residential line will also cancel the Mini Roam line.

Starlink Mini In Motion Usage

SpaceX has updated its support pages to make it official that the Starlink Mini (along with the Starlink Standard and Starlink Flat High Performance) is approved and supported for in-motion usage.

But only certain plans will allow you to keep connected while moving.

The $50/mo "Mini Roam - 50GB" plan supports in-motion usage, but only on land.

Additional data can be purchased at $1/GB - making streaming video to backseat passengers a potentially expensive proposition.

The $150/mo "Mobile - Regional" plan supports unlimited on-land (or nearshore water) in-motion usage - but only at speeds up to 10 mph. This is actually a great fit for the speeds many cruising boats travel, but is certainly not well suited to keeping land vehicles in motion connected

If you need to get connected further out to sea or at faster in-motion speed, the Mobile Regional plan allows you to opt-in to Priority Data at $2/GB - which is a good option for most nomads to control when you use that priority data.

The $250/mo "Mobile Priority" plan is effectively the same as the Mobile Regional  - only your first 50GB of usage are counted as Priority Data, whether you need it or not. 

Though SpaceX has not enforced in-motion limits widely so far, we have seen a few reports recently that show SpaceX has been testing enforcement of the mobile speed limit - blocking Mobile Regional plans when moving over 10 MPH while giving a warning in the Starlink app.

We suspect that this enforcement may become more widespread - and the days of using Mobile Regional plans at highway speeds may be coming to an end.

Concluding Thoughts

We were worried that SpaceX might hold back offering the Starlink Mini widely in the USA for an extended period of time due to network capacity concerns - but it seems like SpaceX has chosen to dive in making the Mini widely available.

For our nomadic audience - this is likely to become an extremely popular connectivity option.

For vehicles (whether boat or RV) - the Mini is just such a great fit - small, relatively low power consumption, in-motion support, and DC powered.

Starlink is still more expensive and power-hungry than cellular, and in many locations it will be substantially slower than 5G.

But the combination of Starlink + Cellular has never been more attractive - and we suspect the Mini will prove to be a big hit.

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