On Monday, May 23, SpaceX rolled out Starlink for RVs, a pay-as-you-go Internet service to use at any destination with active satellite coverage. "Starlink for RVs is ideal for customers travelling to locations where connectivity has been unreliable or completely unavailable," the company said. Starlink for RVs will enable users to access reliable internet through the satellite constellation at fixed locations. "Starlink for RVs is not designed for use while in motion," says SpaceX. The service would be useful for customers who plan to go on a camping trip or who have a vacation home. SpaceX founder Elon Musk previously said that they do plan to eventually roll out fully-mobile service in the future but it will require regulatory approval to use on moving vehicles and it will also require more satellites in orbit so that the internet is stable while in motion aboard RVs, airplanes, trains, and sea-going vessels.
As of today, SpaceX operates around 2,400 internet-beaming satellites in Low Earth Orbit, out of 12,000 it plans to launch within the next five years. To access the network, customers purchase a Starlink kit that includes a phased-array antenna and Wi-Fi router to easily access the internet by simply connecting the antenna to an electricity source and pointing it at a clear view of the sky.
"Starlink for RVs provides the ability to pause and un-pause service at any time and is billed in one-month increments, allowing users to customize their service to their individual travel needs," said SpaceX. The pay-as-you-go Starlink service costs $135 USD per month and the Starlink kit costs $599 USD. “At this time, there is no waitlist — all orders will be shipped shortly after the order is placed,” SpaceX's support page says, "... supply is subject to network and equipment availability.”
SpaceX recently released an interactive map that shows the areas with active Starlink coverage: STARLINK MAP. "Users can expect high speed, low latency internet in areas marked 'Available', and notably slower speeds during hours of peak usage in areas marked as 'Waitlist' or during events with many collocated users " the company said in reference to the labels on the Starlink coverage map.
The Starlink.com FAQ/support page says: “Network resources are always de-prioritized for Starlink for RVs users compared to other Starlink services, resulting in degraded service and slower speeds in congested areas and during peak hours. Service degradation will be most extreme in ‘Waitlist’ areas on the Starlink Availability Map during peak hours.” SpaceX now offers Starlink service package options called Starlink (standard), Business, and Starlink for RV's. The company published a table that details the approximate internet speeds Starlink RV users can expect compared to its other packages, shown below. For more information visit SpaceX's official website Starlink.com.
Source: Starlink.com
Featured Image Source: SpaceX Starlink.com
About the Author
Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo
Evelyn J. Arevalo joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover news as a Space Journalist and SpaceX Starbase Texas Correspondent. Evelyn is specialized in rocketry and space exploration. The main topics she covers are SpaceX and NASA.
