So you want to relocate temporarily or permanently, wondering, Can You Travel With Starlink?
First, I understand you because few internet services can offer Starlink’s performance and reliability.
Additionally, you would feel the pinch of leaving your subscription behind if traveling in the middle of a billing cycle.
Now, let me answer the question, Can you travel with Starlink and also tell you some restrictions you must consider?
Can I Travel With Starlink?
In a nutshell, yes, you can travel with your Starlink and use it anywhere you want.
However, the business plan doesn’t include travel data, meaning you must use it in your service address.
Additionally, while you can easily travel with your most Starlink internet service plans, you may face the following challenges:
- Weather and obstructions: Since Starlink depends on the weather, relocation to a place with heavy rain and snow may affect performance. Again, if the area has obstructions like tall trees and buildings, you may get network errors on the Starlink app.
- Power challenges: As you may know, startlink consumes a lot of power and doesn’t use the DC power available in most vehicles. For this reason, you need backup power, such as a generator, if you travel off the grid.
- Deprioritization and performance fluctuations: Typically, the performance you get depends on your location, and therefore, you may experience slower speeds when you move to an area with such. Additionally, if you are not on priority data access, your internet performance may be deprioritized, leading to slowness.
- Usage while in motion: You should also know that the Standard Starlink dish doesn’t allow you to use it while your vehicle is in motion. If you need to use your internet while in motion, you must buy the expensive Flat high-performance dish.
With that clear, let’s now discuss the Starlink internet plans that allow you to travel with them.
A Starlink antennae
Starlink RV
Starlink RV, also known as Roam, is the main service the ISP designed for travelers. You can use this service plan when traveling with your RV, camper, or other recreation vehicle. The plan will require you to pay a one-time $599 fee for the equipment plus a monthly subscription of $150.
You don’t need a stagnant address here, but you can only use the service in your ordering continent.
However, if you intend to travel with Starlink across continents, you will need global roaming, which costs $200 monthly.
Note that if you have the standard dish, you can only use the service while parked somewhere if you need the internet while in transit, the ISP recommends the Flat high-performance dish, which costs $2500.
RV with a Satellite dish
Starlink Residential and Portability
Another plan you can travel with on the road is the Starlink residential, which serves homeowners.
The plan costs the same as RV Starlink and comes with similar equipment, but the monthly cost is lower ($120).
To travel with this service plan, you must visit the Starlink app and enable the portability mode. Doing so allows you to use your equipment at another address for up to two months (billing cycles).
If you don’t return to your original address, your service address may change, giving you performances of your new location.
Alternatively, you can change your residential Starlink to RV Starink permanently and experience both its benefits and disadvantages.
Starlink Maritime
As discussed above, Starlink residential and RV can only function during road travel. But what if you need to travel on the sea?
Therefore, you need the Starlink maritime plan. As the name suggests, it’s meant for boats, yachts, and ships.
The maritime plan costs $2500 for the flat high-performance dish, but you can buy a refurbished one for just $1500.
However, the data is expensive, and experiences data caps while on the voyage. For example, you can buy data at 5TB for $5000, 1TB for $1000, and 50GB for $250.
The good news is that this priority access data gives uninterrupted speeds of up to 350Mbps, even during congestion.
Moreover, you can use the Standard data when you exhaust the priority access data, but only when on land.
A ship with a satellite dish
Starlink Aviation
When you want to travel by air, the aviation Starlink comes in handy. However, this is the most expensive, costing $150,000 for the equipment.
Its monthly subscription is $25,000 and offers the same performance as the Maritime plan. The plans serve aircraft, private jets, and commercial planes.
While expensive, it may be the only Satellite internet for airplane customers to use the internet while on air.
Which Method is Best?
The best method to use Starlink while on the go is the Starlink RV/Roam. As we saw earlier, the plan especially serves travelers, meaning its customization is for that.
For example, you won’t be placed on a waitlist when ordering it, even if your location is full capacity.
It also allows pause and restart without any cost, which lets you use it only when you need to travel.
In addition, unlike the residential plan, you can use it at any location for an unlimited duration with any questions.
Finally, it comes with a regional plan for usage in your continent and a global plan for travel worldwide.
However, note that if you must travel by air or sea, you can pick aviation or maritime.
Starlink dish vector
Starlink Travel Restrictions
Let.s us now discuss Starlink travel restrictions as I promised earlier in this article.
- As we said, you can only use the Starlink regional roam plan on the continent you first ordered the kit. For those needing intercontinental travel, you must pay extra money to access the Global Roam plan.
- Another restriction is that enabling portability mode on Starlink residential ensures you use it in the same continent. Additionally, if you use portability for more than two months without returning to your address, the new address becomes permanent.
Conclusion
According to my research, you can easily travel with any Starlink internet plan apart from the Business one.
However, if you are a nomad who travels most, I recommend the RV Starlink since it is more customized.