Starlink Grounds $5 Standby Mode, Blocks In-Motion Use

No more Starlink on the go? SpaceX has disabled the option to use a Starlink dish in motion with its $5-per-month Standby Mode plan.

Customers noticed the restriction on Friday; one subscriber posted a screenshot that shows the Starlink mobile app displaying a “Starlink Disabled while moving” warning.

Standby Mode debuted in August and is Starlink’s cheapest monthly plan, giving customers an affordable, albeit slow, way to use the satellite internet service. Speeds are capped at 500Kbps, but data is unlimited.

SpaceX pitches the plan as a way to pause subscriptions to Starlink’s more robust tiers rather than just canceling service outright. However, some savvy customers realized Standby Mode is a bargain for light internet use, especially since it can be used with the portable Mini dish and works in dead zones while road-tripping through remote areas. 

(Credit: Brian Westover/PCMag)

Removing the in-motion use now means affected subscribers will need to pay for a pricier Roam plan, which starts at $50 per month, to restore the capability. On Facebook, one user wrote: “Too many people abused it, so they had to lock it down. Same story over and over again.”

Meanwhile, other customers are considering returning their Starlink Mini dishes, which the company has been loaning out as a “free” perk. “That’s sad, [Standby Mode] was the best overall plan for emergency use on roads, it’s still usable, but lost a major plus being able to use [while] moving,” one user wrote on Reddit.

SpaceX hasn’t explained the change. But a support page on Starlink.com notes: “Pausing your service with Standby Mode is not intended for in-motion use.”

The company has also introduced a 100 miles per hour speed cap for in-motion use on the Roam and Priority plans, effectively blocking small planes from using the satellite internet service. Instead, SpaceX has introduced new Aviation 300MPH and Aviation 450MPH plans for private-plane owners at $250 and $1,000 per month, respectively. As a result, affected users are threatening to cancel their subscriptions.

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About Our Expert

Michael Kan

Senior Reporter

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Experience

I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.

Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.

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