SpaceX’s Starlink has expanded access to its cheaper $80-per-month Residential Lite plan in more parts of the US.
A support page on Starlink.com has been updated with a new map that shows Residential Lite, which is $40 less than the standard Residential tier, is now available in most parts of the country.
(Credit: Starlink.com/PCMag)
The company previously refrained from bringing Residential Lite to large swaths of the Eastern US. But it looks like the $80-per-month plan has expanded to all of Michigan, Ohio, and New York, along with large parts of Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia.
However, the map indicates Residential Lite isn’t available in congested areas, where the Starlink network is already overloaded with too many customers. (The company also used the same map earlier this month to promote its latest deal for select areas, which effectively loans out Starlink dishes to subscribers for a $0 upfront cost.)
Still, the change means more existing Starlink subscribers can switch and downgrade to the Residential Lite plan, if they’re looking to save money.
The downside of Residential Lite is that it offers slower download rates, mainly between 80 to 200Mbps, although this is often enough for some subscribers. In contrast, the regular $120-per-month Residential tier typically offers speeds from 135 to 305Mbps, but can go as high as 400Mbps, according to SpaceX.
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Last week, SpaceX also introduced an even cheaper Residential 100Mbps plan, which costs only $40 per month. But the service tier is only available in a smaller selection of areas, such as Omaha, Nebraska. The other catch is the plan caps download rates to 100Mbps. “It is not designed for heavy users or large households with multiple simultaneous high-bandwidth activities (such as 4K streaming or large game downloads),” SpaceX says.
Existing subscribers can also switch to Residential 100Mbps, but only if it’s available in their location. All the Residential plans have unlimited data.
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About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.