Starlink RV is now Starlink Roam

[Statistical]

I'm in La Paz and just received this email. Just SoC cruising so I assume by "ocean" they mean anything not on land. I wonder how precise their location data is... if I'm in a marina slip am I on the ocean?

Their grammar is poor, but it appears that you cannot choose the Mobile Priority Data if you've been grandfathered in with portability as I don't see that option. Presumably you must first change your plan to the new "Roam" service plan then you can do what the email suggests.

Manually turning the Priority Data switch on and off sounds fairly annoying to say the least.

Yeah nobody knows yet. Technically it isn't all water that is "Ocean" Inland waters are specifically mentions as being covered in Roam (now called Mobile).

So what is Inland and what is Ocean? Is a marina ocean or inland? Is a sheltered bay ocean or inland? I doubt SpaceX is mapping in realtime (shorelines are changing) down to meter level precision. Probably best to not jump the gun and just play it by ear. In the next couple weeks going to get plenty of reports of where it does and doesn't work.

My prediction is stuff like marina or anchorage or just off the coast won't be considered ocean and will still keep working just due to the way Starlink works at a technical level. I got no insider info we will find out soon enough.

 

[O C Diver]

Yes, I received the same letter from SL. My next leg is Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay. Wonder if they think those are part of the ocean. Then will be traveling up the New Jersey coast to New York city. Think I may leave it off for the NJ coast and then see what happens going up the Hudson River.

From the email, it appears that as soon as you're back on land, service resumes. So it's not like you're forced into upgrading after being caught.

Of additional interest, I'm still being billed at $135 per month (as of April 10th). Do I have to switch to Roam to be billed $150 for the same service?

Ted

 

[tpbrady]

Starlink is still shooting from the hip. I wish someone would discuss standard terminology with the millennials. There’s land, inland lakes and rivers, territorial waters (I think commonly referred to as coastal waters), and international waters. By using the term ocean, they have now included inland lakes and rivers including the Great Lakes. I’m not sure they wanted to include the Great Lakes. Standby for the next change.

Tom

 

[Sababa]

Yeah nobody knows yet. Technically it isn't all water that is "Ocean" Inland waters are specifically mentions as being covered in Roam (now called Mobile).



So what is Inland and what is Ocean? Is a marina ocean or inland? Is a sheltered bay ocean or inland? I doubt SpaceX mapping is being down with meter level precision. Probably best to not jump the gun and just play it by ear. In the next couple weeks going to get plenty fo reports of where it does and doesn't work.



My prediction is stuff like Marina or anchorage or just off the coast won't be considered ocean and will still keep working just due to the way Starlink works at a technical level but I got no insider info we will find out soon enough.

I went around in circles with their support person trying to get them to tell me what “land-based” means and I expect they would be just as cagey about their notion of “inland waters.” I suspect the only way to find out will be to use it at the dock or at anchor and see what works.

 

[SteveK]

I see the prices have gone back up, guess I bought well at the $350 offering.

 

[ksanders]

this is really easy guys. Just buy the Starlink Maritime and be done with it.

it was an option for me to convert my RV starlink to Maritime for $250 a month which gives me 50 gig priority data and there's a little button that I can push that will buy more data if I need to

what I decided to do is I am not going to buy more data until I am going offshore and at which time I will login push the little button to buy more data and be happy getting my Internet on the ocean

last year I had a KVH satellite system, which gave me two gig of data for approximately $1000 a month

this year I have Starlink that gives me data for two dollars per gig

I could not be freaking happier

 

[Simi 60]

this is really easy guys. Just buy the Starlink Maritime and be done with it.

Well, it's $375 for 50gb here so not that attractive at all.

Considering that 90% of our coastal cruising grounds around 10nm out can be covered by a 130gb for $30 mobile plan.

And I don't want or need "priority data"
We have been more than happy with the standard data speeds we've been getting.

 

[mvweebles]

this is really easy guys. Just buy the Starlink Maritime and be done with it.

If I understand the tables Statistical posted in #170, having the standard $150/mo Mobile Plan allows you to toggle $2/GB priority/ocean data. If you toggle it on Day 1 and never toggle off and you use 50GB, would be same price and function as the $250/mo Priority Mobile plan.

So for some minor administrative effort of toggling on/off, overall cost can be reduced and still have same functionality. Or if toggling on/off is too much hassle, leave it toggled on and will have identical function and cost to the Mobile Priority (maritime) plan. So I don't see the benefit to the $250/mo plan unless you're always cruising.

Question I would have is how quickly can you toggle on/off Priority/Ocean data ($2/GB)? When I suspended my Mexico SL a week or so before the billing cycle date, it didn't become effective until end of next billing cycle almost 5 weeks later. I can, however, turn it on almost instantly.

Of course, this is bound to change. Sooner rather than later.

Peter.

 

[Don L]

I am just going to ignore the whole thing till my system has an issue. They haven't charged me the $150/mo they emailed me about months ago and are still auto billing me the old $135

 

[Larry M]

I see the prices have gone back up, guess I bought well at the $350 offering.

Prices have gone up but next week you’ll be able to buy it at Home Depot just not at all stores. It won’t be available in Florida but it will be in WA State.

 

[SteveK]

My other thread re Starlink appears to have been archived.
New offer from Starlink for rural Canadian market now being offered $199 for the basic fixed location hardware reduced from the $759. Same monthly rate plans.

 

[RyanZ]

FWIW-

I haven't been following this thread in detail, but we have StarLink on our boat down in the Marina. We live about 45 min away and we escape the summer heat down in the harbor and head out to the channel islands often all summer. My wife and I both WFH so having mobile high speed internet has been a game changer. We've helped a few other folks in the Marina set it up. SB Marina has wifi but its about 2-5Mbps if you are lucky.

We got StarLink 2nd Gen dish (square), and our location is set up as our slip location.

We've been able to use it in transit to the islands (cruise speed 8knts not stabilized) with out any issue. We turn it once once we have a heading that we aren't diverting from and it re-aquires the correct satelite for the duration of the trip. We have had Zero issues using it at the islands. We will see if that changes this season.

We've been able to take it with us to Rural Montana Skiing, Yosemite Glamping, and up to our house when the latest storm knocked out our internet for over a week.

I will note that our Legacy "Portability" subscription changed to "Roam" and went from $135 up to $145 this month, we never deactivated portability the entire time we've had it.

I will also mention that it used to face about 340 degrees and now it faces 240.

We live 45 min from Lompoc and are downrange from the launches so we get a pretty good view of them and SpaceX has had multiple Starlink missions in the last few months.

Theres also a new timer feature in the app that allows you to schedule it to power down on a time schedule to conserve power. It's not a big energy hog but everything counts on the hook I guess.

Hope that helps anyone looking at getting one or interested in one, feel free to DM with any questions.

RZ-

 

[Simi 60]

The total monthly cost would depend on how much data you use. 20GB @ $2/GB = $40 on top of the $150 = $190.

And what country you are in

In Oz it will be 20GB @ $3.75/GB = $75 on top of the $399= $474

Oh, and the extra gb can not be purchased on the roam package.
You have to downgrade to the more expensive 50gb "priority" plan, which is the $399 here posted above.

How do I opt in to additional data?

For service plans with Priority or Mobile Priority data options, you can opt-in or opt-out at any time from your Starlink account page.

 

[MacPhid]

My other thread re Starlink appears to have been archived.
New offer from Starlink for rural Canadian market now being offered $199 for the basic fixed location hardware reduced from the $759. Same monthly rate plans.

Steve, do you think the fixed location hardware will still work on a boat? I'm eligible for the $199.00 hardware, would be great to be able to use while anchored in different locations in Georgian Bay/the Loop.

James

 

[danderer]

The way Starlink is managing their customers reminds me of:


Excuse me, I didn't get any bread.

You want bread? $2!

But they all got bread..

No soup for you!

 

[Wdeertz]

Well, it's $375 for 50gb here so not that attractive at all.

Considering that 90% of our coastal cruising grounds around 10nm out can be covered by a 130gb for $30 mobile plan.

And I don't want or need "priority data"
We have been more than happy with the standard data speeds we've been getting.

Well at the current exchange rate A$375 is about US$250. Are you expecting them to charge you A$250?

 

[Fletcher500]

The way Starlink is managing their customers reminds me of:

Excuse me, I didn't get any bread.

You want bread? $2!

But they all got bread..

No soup for you!

Agree for the most part; things are dynamic but that is how Musk operates for all of his business including Twitter, SpaceX, and Tesla so it's not surprising. The guy is a genius, but mercurial. Also, we can play semantics, but the reality is the smaller Dishes (mine included) were designed for land based homes and RV 's so using it on the ocean was never stated by them. I have had the Flat/HP for 2 months now and love it. I have ditched DirecTV, have Ring Cameras set up in the ER and externally, and ripping fast download speeds for high quality TV, video calls, and Wifi at offshore islands I previously didn't have. If I have to eventually sign up for their maritime plan so be it, but for now I am not sweating it and am a happy customer with no regrets regarding the purchase or the time it took to install it.

 

[Insequent]

Well, a game-changer while it lasted. Price was too good to be true. A classic marketing ploy of steep discounts to build a customer base, then jack up on-going costs to a level that would actually provide a reasonable return on capital for the service provider.

My hope is that they overshot. If enough people opt out of the essentially doubling of monthly charge then it might come back a bit. Although there will be folks like Kevin who had been paying a lot more for business purposes and see it as good value still. In my case it likely remains value for 1 month cruises beyond cell coverage areas.

 

[Statistical]

UPDATE: This may be a faked/spoofed image. I can't find it at the time of the update by searching the FAQ.

Good News! Coastal is not "ocean".

Bad New! Apparently to SpaceX some but not all of the Chesapeake Bay is "ocean".

 

[heysteve]

One of the local FB sailing groups down here is going nuts after this email. Apparently many RV people received the same email so the opinion now is that "ocean" has more to do with using the service while in motion than whether or not you're on water.

Perhaps turning off Starlink needs to be added to the departure checklist.

 

[Statistical]

Well, a game-changer while it lasted. Price was too good to be true. A classic marketing ploy of steep discounts to build a customer base, then jack up on-going costs to a level that would actually provide a reasonable return on capital for the service provider.

My hope is that they overshot. If enough people opt out of the essentially doubling of monthly charge then it might come back a bit. Although there will be folks like Kevin who had been paying a lot more for business purposes and see it as good value still. In my case it likely remains value for 1 month cruises beyond cell coverage areas.

I still think it is an absolutely amazing deal. Nothing else even comes close. Unlimited inland/coastal service for $150/$200 a month and then offshore data for $2/GB. Two buck a gig? Compared to KVH charging $500/mo for 1 GB?

I don't see prices going down. In fact I suspect the offshore PAYG rate to rise because honestly at $5 or $10 per GB it still is vastly cheaper than anything else.

 

[Sababa]

Good News! Coastal is not "ocean".

Bad New! Apparently to SpaceX some but not all of the Chesapeake Bay is "ocean".

The right hand needs to talk to the left hand because I haven’t gone anywhere with my Starlink that they define as “Ocean” but they said I have in their email telling me to change my account!

 

[Sababa]

The right hand needs to talk to the left hand because I haven’t gone anywhere with my Starlink that they define as “Ocean” but they said I have in their email telling me to change my account!

How did you find this page? I don’t get a hit on it when I search support for “Ocean.”

 

[Statistical]

How did you find this page? I don’t get a hit on it when I search support for “Ocean.”

I reposted it from another site. I tried as well and don't find it. I may have gotten spoofed. Not sure why someone would do that. It may also just be SpaceX changing the site and it was legit and just removed. I would treat it as suspect until confirmed. I put a warning on the post.

 

[Insequent]

It seems they are geo-fencing using hexagons. If there is land with residential habitation or somewhere you can use an SUV falling within the hexagon then its "not ocean".

My plan is Mobile-Regional and I think that provided I stow the dishy when underway then I would not get the email about changing the account. Near coastal and marina-hopping would likely work OK provided I only un-stow when anchored or tied to a dock. But most of those areas will have cell coverage, which is much cheaper.

 

[Tang]

My account is the Roam account. It was shipped to Miami but I use it on my dock in part of the Caribbean where Starlink is not yet available as a residential product.
I received this today.

“ As a Mobile (or "Roam") customer, you are now able to opt-in to purchase Mobile Priority Data for $2/GB. Mobile Priority Data enables our fastest network speeds for consumers and can be used on the ocean and land, anywhere Starlink has coverage in the world. This option is meant to provide flexibility while you travel - for example, use Starlink for a weekend excursion at sea or on an international trip.
To opt-in to Mobile Priority Data, sign into your account on the web or via the Starlink App. On your account page online, click "Manage" under "Your Starlinks", then select the "Mobile Priority" toggle. On your account page on the App, click "Data Usage", then select the
"Mobile Priority" toggle. Once you opt-in, you will be automatically billed for Mobile Priority data used until you opt-out, including in following billing cycles.
Alternatively, you can change to a Mobile Priority service plan in your account on the web or via the Starlink App.”

As we use Starlink as our primary residential service then I wouldn’t want to have to pay per GB of data.

Our area doesn’t yet seem to have a problem with lots of cruisers so I’m able to achieve speeds of around 150mb/s with no throttling. Hopefully it stays that way until I’m able to sign up for a residential package here.

 

[Simi 60]

Well at the current exchange rate A$375 is about US$250. Are you expecting them to charge you A$250?

We pretty much get paid the same $number value as the US

google says.....
The national average U.S. income in 2021 was $97,962
The average yearly salary in Australia is 90,800 AUD ($60,000 USD)

How much is it in Mexico?

 

[SteveK]

Steve, do you think the fixed location hardware will still work on a boat? I'm eligible for the $199.00 hardware, would be great to be able to use while anchored in different locations in Georgian Bay/the Loop.

James

IMO, it will not as it is assigned to a fixed address. The roam will work. Starlink just let me know that if I find myself on the ocean without service I can still reach my account and toggle on/off to have ocean service. Not sure why they thought I would be on the ocean.

 

[SteveK]

I reposted it from another site. I tried as well and don't find it. I may have gotten spoofed. Not sure why someone would do that. It may also just be SpaceX changing the site and it was legit and just removed. I would treat it as suspect until confirmed. I put a warning on the post.

You did, I went into my account and could not find what you posted. Found this

Can I use Starlink on the ocean?
Mobile Priority data is required for ocean use.

The Mobile Priority service plan enables our fastest network speeds for consumers and can be used on the ocean and land, and is available in 50GB, 1TB, and 5TB plans. Visit Maritime to order and for more information.

Starting May 2023, If you exceed the allotted data on your Mobile Priority plan and have not opted in to additional Mobile Priority data, you will be unable to access the internet while on the ocean except to access your Starlink account. You will continue to have unlimited Mobile service on inland coverage (e.g., lakes, rivers). Opt-in to automatically purchase additional Mobile Priority Data by the GB to maintain connectivity on the ocean at our fastest network speeds.

If you are on the Global or Regional Mobile service plans (Roam) you will need to opt-in to Mobile Priority data or change your service plan to use Starlink on the ocean.

 

[Helmsman]

UPDATE: This may be a faked/spoofed image. I can't find it at the time of the update by searching the FAQ.".

It is a real page. I saw it on the Starlink website today. I spent some time looking through the various pages on their website. I believe I understand it now.

Starlink is confusing the issues. They are trying to mark out two different activities in their pricing. One is availability of Starlink while in motion. The other is ocean coverage. Both are covered in the $250 version.

The $150 version no longer provides for use while in motion or on the ocean. To them, Mobility means moving the Starlink from one fixed position to another. In each fixed position, Starlink access will be available. That access will be best available, not priority. The travel in between the two fixed positions is not covered under their terms of service. I look for the ability folks have to receive internet under 10 mile per hour to go away soon with the $150 plan. I also think we will see a tightening down in the larger bays and lakes.

To complicate it further they are offering a 50 gig service that is high priority for that amount of data. So, they have at least three moving parts which they appear to be getting ready to enforce to some degree.

Clear as mud, but I look for it becoming more clear in the next month or two.