Amazon is quietly building a Starlink rival
In our latest vlog, I talk about how Amazon’s Project Kuiper is quietly humming along, getting ready for a full-scale satellite deployment. Could we see the service become available by 2025?
Starlink looks to be getting rid of their popular “Mobile-Global” plan
Starlink is making some bizarre moves with their Mobile-Global service plan. If you aren’t aware, the Mobile (commonly called Roam) service allows Starlink customers to travel and use their Starlink virtually anywhere in the world. Roam is offered in two flavors – Regional and Global. With Regional Roam, you can use your dish anywhere within your home continent. If you want to travel between continents, you can opt for Global Roam. Before an unexpected change earlier this month, Regional Roam was $150/month and Global Roam was $200/month. Now, the price of the Global plan has increased by 100% (doubled) to …
Starlink for $349? Some areas of the US see lowest kit price yet
Back in April, I wrote about a refurbished kit promotion that Starlink was running in the United States. In that offer, you could buy refurbished hardware for $399, about 30% off the normal new price of $599. This month, Starlink has introduced an even better offer for some areas of the US. You can now buy a brand new kit for just $349 with the Residential service plan. A sign of slowing demand? On one hand, I’m glad the US is finally getting some nice discounts. We’ve seen similar promotions around the world throughout Starlink’s history. Typically, in places with …
Starlink adds “Tilt” setting to app for in-motion use
Starlink has updated their mobile app with a new feature aimed at customers using their dish while in-motion. You can now adjust the tilt/angle of your dish. If you have a motorized dish mounted on your vehicle’s roof, you’ll be able to keep it at a flat angle while you are driving. This helps prevent wear and tear on the motors, and makes in-motion performance more consistent. The “Tilt” setting is only available for actuated (motorized) Starlink dishes. Also, it will only appear in the app if you are on one of the Mobile or Mobile Priority service plans. Tilt …
With $42 billion up for grabs, Starlink might miss out on federal broadband funds, again
Last year the Biden administration announced a new program aimed at connecting more Americans with high-speed broadband internet. The Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program will provide $42 billion to help connect an estimated 8.5 million households. Each US state is developing its own plan and selecting its preferred vendors. Starlink, with its virtually global coverage, might seem like an obvious choice as a preferred vendor. Their low Earth orbit satellite constellation has been providing high-speed, low latency internet for years. But SpaceX, Starlink’s parent company, might miss out on yet another round of federal funding thanks to rising …
Worst Starlink Accessory – Gen 3 Pipe Adapter Review
Starlink’s Gen 3 Pipe Adapter accessory should have be pretty straightforward. After all, they produced the successful Gen 2 Pipe Adapter for years. Don’t fix something that isn’t broken, right? Unfortunately, the latest version of the Pipe Adapter may be the worst Starlink accessory ever. In this post, I will show you how I installed the Gen 3 Standard Pipe Adapter, and give you my thoughts and impressions along the way. I may have spoiled the ending with the title and opening paragraph, but I’ll make up for it by recommending a third party alternative pipe adapter. Overview I bought …
Role Based Access Control Is Now Available
Starlink has finally added role-based access control (RBAC) to the user management system on Residential and Business accounts. Back in February, I first covered how Starlink added the ability to configure multiple users on the same Starlink account. At the time, all users on the account had the same admin permissions. With this latest update, you’ll be able to assign permissions to users on your account, giving you more control over the information and functions that each user has access to. What is role-based access control? Role-based access control, or RBAC, gives you the ability to customize the permissions for …
Starlink Pivot Mount – Installation and Review
I recently bought the “Standard Pivot Mount” from Starlink to try out. In this post, I’m going to share my installation experience, and give you my thoughts and impressions along the way. The Pivot Mount is designed to attach directly to a shingled roof. It’s called the Pivot Mount because the mounting tube is adjustable to virtually any roof angle. I bought the Gen 3 version, but Starlink also makes a Pivot Mount for the older Gen 2 Standard Actuated dish. I purchased this mount for $74. It’s available directly from Starlink, here is the product page. That price includes …
Why You Shouldn’t Buy a Brand New Starlink Kit
Starlink has offered several types of incentives over the years to attract new customers. In Europe, for example, they often run discounts on monthly subscription fees and hardware. One offer that occasionally pops up is the option to buy a refurbished dish instead of a brand new one. The refurbished kit is usually 30% off new, helping to soften the steep up-front cost of purchasing Starlink. The United States, Starlink’s largest market, has never gotten the chance to experience any of these incentives in the past. But now, all that changes. Starlink is offering a refurbished hardware option in the …
Starlink To Users In Africa: Service Will Be Terminated In Unauthorized Locations
An interesting situation is unfolding in Africa right now. Since launching in late 2020, Starlink’s mission has been to provide high speed, low latency internet to areas where internet connectivity has not been available, is unreliable, or is too expensive. This is especially true for rural and underdeveloped areas of the world. At this point, Starlink operates a global service. They serve millions of customers around the world, on virtually every continent. Although coverage is technically global, Starlink only sells hardware and services to locations where they have local government authorization. On their website, Starlink allows you to easily check …
