Does Starlink Have Data Cap -Let’s Find Out

Does Starlink Have Data Cap? Starlink’s entrance into the market resulted in an overwhelming response from users as they proved to offer reliable internet services. 

The company uses low earth orbit satellites to offer low latency unlimited internet to almost every part of the world. 

But, lately, rumors have been going on that Starlink might introduce data caps. If you’re as surprised, sit tight as we unravel more information about data caps. 

Does Starlink Have Data Caps?

When you purchase Starlink, you get unlimited data. Starlink has no hard data caps like most ISPs in the country. 

Data caps are the maximum limits of your unlimited internet. The data caps are usually in the range of hundreds of gigabytes or at least a terabyte. 

Starlink may not have a hard data cap, but they have introduced deprioritization to manage its network. 

Data deprioritization means that during peak hours, some customers will have to experience slower internet speeds than the top-tier clients. 

Nevertheless, Starlink has a generous data plan that’s usually enough to last you during the subscription. 

For example, Starlink Roam Global has a one-terabyte data deprioritization plan for one month. 

It is a massive amount of data, and you can practically do anything on the internet, from streaming daily to downloading hundreds of movies. 

Note that smaller plans like Starlink Residential and Starlink Roam Regional have different data caps and rules on how they affect your internet speed. 

How Does Data Deprioritization Work? 

Data deprioritization differs from hard data caps because it does not cut off the internet once you deplete your monthly data. 

Instead, it gives a slower speed or sometimes charges extra, which is the case for Starlink. 

The data deprioritization in Starlink provides clients with an initial 1TB of priority access data. 

Once you exceed this amount, Starlink pulls you to the Basic plan, which may have slow speeds during network congestion.

 If you’re not satisfied with being reverted to basic access, you can pay for the extra priority access data at $0.25 per GB. 

Starlink’s Four Data Prioritization

Starlink’s data prioritization is categorized according to your data plan. Each tier has its speed rating. Let’s take a closer look. 

• Mobile Priority: This top-tier plan is the highest priority plan as it provides the fastest internet with no caps, usually for emergency scenarios like someone being injured in a forest. It is a common plan for Starlink Maritime. 

• Priority: Residential and Business Plans get the high-priority data plan. If you’re on one of these two, you’ll receive high-speed internet with a higher priority than other users. 

• Standard: The Standard plan is a default setting for Residential and Business plan users. However, when they deplete all the monthly data (which is usually a Priority), it reverts to this plan. 

• Mobile: This is the lowest data prioritization tier on Starlink and is given to Starlink Roam customers. The speeds may not be lightning fast, but it has a lower priority than the top data cap plans. So, you might expect slower speeds during some periods or when you’re in places with more Starlink customers. 

Starlink Residential: Data Speeds and Cap

The Starlink Equipment 

Starlink Residential customers get Standard priority data, which is essentially priority data with the potential to retract to basic once it’s finished. 

However, during normal hours, you get the unlimited, low-latency data Starlink offers with no caps. 

However, as a Residential User, you may have instances of slow internet speeds in high network traffic. 

Starlink RV, Portability, and Best Effort: Data Speeds and Cap

The Starlink Dish Outside 

Starlink has excellent plans for travelers and people who love to move around. 

A range of plans is available, and the internet speeds depend on where you go or your chosen plan. These plans include: 

• Starlink Roam Regional
• Starlink Roam Global 
• Starlink Maritime/Mobility 

While Starlink Roam is ideal for campers and RVers, be prepared for slower speeds as its data is tiered at unlimited Mobile data.

 You’ll experience slow internet mainly because of the complex logistics of delivering satellite internet when you’re on the go.

 If you’re not a heavy browser, Starlink Roam is just right for you as it can do up to 50 Mbps, which is fair enough for someone in a remote area. 

If you want to upgrade your priority, you can pay for Mobile Priority data for $2 per GB. 

It’s an expensive upgrade, and unless you need 4K streaming on the go, you’re better off with unlimited Mobile data. 

Starlink Business: Data Speeds and Cap

There is a perfect data plan for business enterprises and commercial users- The Starlink Business Plan. 

Customers get 1TB Priority of data at only $250 per month with the option of extending Priority use. 

Exhausting the monthly data, you can still enjoy Priority data at $0.50 per GB. 

Starlink Business does not have room for slow internet, and you can be assured of low latency, uncapped internet.

 Of course, it comes at a cost, but we believe it’s worth the catch, especially for business owners. 

Data Caps For Alternative Satellite Internet Providers

Viasat logo on the phone 

Starlink is one of the many ISPs that offer monthly data plans across the United States. 

But it offers unlimited satellite internet, which never gets disabled, even when clients exceed the data caps.

 Other companies may not offer similar speeds once you exceed your cap and usually throttle the internet to very low speeds. 

Common internet service providers with similar data plans include Viasat and Hughes. 

They are widely accepted in almost 50 states and have a massive customer base.

 Let’s look at how they compare with Starlink’s data plans. 

Even though Starlink looks like a better option, Viasat and Hughes provide excellent services. 

For instance, if you want to know how much data you’re using in a month, a limited data plan like the Viasat Choice 75 may be ideal.

 So, you don’t have to pay more when using a certain amount of data in a month.

 Also, reaching out to Starlink’s customer service has been tricky, leading to clients being a bit reluctant to join Starlink. 

Which internet service providers have unlimited data?

It’s becoming a norm for internet companies to provide 1TB of data or more fast internet per month. 

For many basic customers, this is essentially “unlimited” internet as they may not deplete all the 1000+GB of data in one month. 

However, satellite internet providers seem more focused on providing high-speed internet rather than large amounts of data. 

But even if you go for the unlimited plan, you’ll find it better than standard internet plans. 

Conclusion

Starlink’s plan to deprioritize data instead of a hard data cap is one of the best decisions ever. 

Clients used to get a 1TB data cap, which was enough for most customers.

 One terabyte provides enough speed to stream 4K movies daily without reaching its limit. 

However, the company’s deprioritization plans provide unlimited internet to all plans and an option to upgrade whenever you deplete the 1TB data cap.