Jchonline
Elite Member
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2018
- Messages
- 3,071
- Location
- Red Feather Lakes, CO
- Tractor
- Kubota L6060, KX040-4, M7060, X1100C, M62(S)
Incorrect.StarLink portability is aimed at people who have boats or RVs and who would need Internet access away from home. This is a REALLY big deal for boats.
Starlink seems to be limited to 12 miles offshore at the present time, which I think is mainly due to the need to have satellite to satellite communication. Having said that, I noticed there were dead zones in the Chesapeake in VA, one of the sounds in NC, and in one of the Great Lakes where one would expect coverage.
In some places, cell service is good enough if one is near shore, we have had cell service six or so miles off shore, and I have heard of people getting a signal farther offshore. But even along the coast, one can be without cell service and cell Internet can be expensive. Offshore Internet is exceedingly expensive, and can cost tens of thousands of dollars for the equipment and the data plans can be hundreds of dollars a month and still be data limited. I have seen plans that were $1 a megabyte.
Starlink is working on boats at the present time but not warrantied, however, this is one of the areas that Starlink wants to support so it will happen in time. Starlink is going to wipe out some of the off grid Internet providers. Paying $130 a month for unlimited bandwidth at the Starlink speeds is dirt cheap compared to the competitors.
Land based, we were paying $120 per month of an unlimited cell plan. And our DSL at 1.5 mbps was $50-75 a month. Our new cell plan, we need backup Internet access, is $20ish a month but data limited AND not working.
From the Starlink FAQ page (and I have Starlink btw)
For an additional monthly fee, the Portability feature enables users to temporarily move their Starlink to new locations in order to receive service anywhere within the same continent Starlink provides active coverage. To see active coverage areas, please view the Starlink Availability Map. Portable users are served best effort and can expect lower service levels than fixed users, particularly in areas marked as "Waitlist" on the Availability Map.
Add Portability on Your Account:
- If you are an active customer, you can enable Portability from your account page and it will take effect immediately.
- If you have multiple Starlinks, Portability must be selected and purchased for each location.
- When you enable Portability, you are charged on your next monthly invoice. Portability is charged in full monthly increments and cannot be pro-rated. The Portability feature and billing charges will be ongoing until you decide to disable it. Once you disable Portability, the recurring charge will stop after your next monthly invoice and Portability will only remain active for the remainder of the current billing cycle. For example, if you enable Portability on March 12th and your next billing date is on April 1st, you will be charged $25 on April 1st for the full previous month.
- Best Effort Service: Portability service is provided on a best effort basis. Stated speeds and uninterrupted use of services are not guaranteed. Starlink prioritizes network resources for users at their registered service address. When you bring your Starlink to a new location, this prioritization may result in degraded service, particularly at times of peak usage or network congestion.
- International Travel: Starlink can only be used within the same continent as the registered Service Address. If you use Starlink in a foreign country for more than two months, you will be required to move your registered service address to your new location or purchase an additional Starlink to maintain service.
- No In-Motion Use: We do not support Starlink use in motion at this time. Using the Starlink Kit in motion will void the limited warranty of your Kit. While our teams are actively working to make it possible to use Starlink on moving vehicles (e.g., automobiles, RVs, boats), Starlink is not yet configured to be safely used in this way.