Starlink's new RV plan lets you pay more for worse service

Starlink has launched its much anticipated “Starlink for RVs” service that offers “high-speed, low-latency internet on an as-needed basis,” however not without cost. 

Priced at an additional $25 a month over the company’s standard satellite internet plan, the freshly available Starlink for RVs plan might seem reasonable for those who’ve embraced the van life over the past few years, however, the service is far from ideal, and not just because you have to buy the $599 hardware too. 

Alongside the total upfront cost of $687.94 to get your Starlink for RVs plan up and running, users will also have to contend with a network connection that is “always de-prioritized” compared to the company’s other users who’re located at fixed addresses. 

In a support post, the company detailed that this may result in “degraded service and slower speeds in congested areas and during peak hours.” To make matters worse, Starlink won’t even guarantee any speeds or uninterrupted use of the service if you’re on the new RVs plan, and you can’t even use it while in motion. 

Starlink now available for RVs, campers & other large vehicle users (note, antenna too big for cars) https://t.co/uwKwduNioj

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 23, 2022

Despite its flaws, this new plan may still sound fairly agreeable for those wishing to travel in an RV or go camping with a hopefully potent internet connection, however, the owner of Starlink, Elon Musk, noted on Twitter that the antenna you’ll need to haul around with you everywhere you go may be “too big for cars” which is hardly what you want to hear when space is already a commodity.

Thankfully for prospective users, the new plan isn’t all bad news, as, unlike the company’s primary satellite internet service, the Starlink for RVs plan doesn’t have any waitlist, with orders being shipped “shortly after the order is placed.”