Photo: SpaceX
SpaceX’s Starlink internet is arguably the best satellite internet solution on Earth, even if it doesn’t come exactly cheap. Since the subscriber count has gone up way faster than the infrastructure, internet speeds have plummeted, prompting Starlink to impose soft data caps on residential users.
Starlink service has included unlimited bandwidth until now, although the Roaming users have deprioritized access outside their home areas. This was necessary to not clog the internet bandwidth for residential users in high-interest areas. Nevertheless, things are changing for users with a fixed (non-roaming) service, as Starlink will throttle them after exceeding 1 TB of data used in a single month.
According to TechCrunch, Starlink has sent out an email to users in the U.S. and Canada outlining a new “Fair-Use” policy. Based on the new terms, residential users will start each month with “Priority Access,” but the internet speed could be impacted if they cross the 1-TB threshold. They will still receive coverage for the remainder of the monthly billing period but under the terms of the “Basic Access.”
This means they would be deprioritized, with a slower-speed service compared to Priority Access customers during peak hours. Starlink notes that data used during off-peak times between 11 pm and 7 am would not count toward the 1-TB monthly data cap. The company would update the account control panel to allow users to monitor data use and see how close they are to reaching the soft cap.
The measure is meant to limit high-volume users, which Starlink says represent less than 10% of the current subscriber base, from clogging the network. Limiting bandwidth for these users would allow the rest of Starlink’s customers to experience improved internet speeds.
As the subscriber count skyrocketed in the past year, internet speed has slowed significantly. In a recent study, network analytics firm Ookla revealed that this trend has become prevalent in every country where Starlink is currently available.
According to TechCrunch, Starlink has sent out an email to users in the U.S. and Canada outlining a new “Fair-Use” policy. Based on the new terms, residential users will start each month with “Priority Access,” but the internet speed could be impacted if they cross the 1-TB threshold. They will still receive coverage for the remainder of the monthly billing period but under the terms of the “Basic Access.”
This means they would be deprioritized, with a slower-speed service compared to Priority Access customers during peak hours. Starlink notes that data used during off-peak times between 11 pm and 7 am would not count toward the 1-TB monthly data cap. The company would update the account control panel to allow users to monitor data use and see how close they are to reaching the soft cap.
The measure is meant to limit high-volume users, which Starlink says represent less than 10% of the current subscriber base, from clogging the network. Limiting bandwidth for these users would allow the rest of Starlink’s customers to experience improved internet speeds.
As the subscriber count skyrocketed in the past year, internet speed has slowed significantly. In a recent study, network analytics firm Ookla revealed that this trend has become prevalent in every country where Starlink is currently available.
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