SpaceX Starlink for RVs has arrived, here’s what you need to know

SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband division is now selling Starlink for RVs, but it won’t work on the move, and other Starlink users might take priority. 

Starlink for RVs is available for those who want Starlink while traveling to areas with slow or no broadband alternatives. The hardware costs $599 while the monthly service costs $135. US consumers also need to pay a $50 shipping fee plus state taxes. European consumers need to pay €634 for the hardware, €71 in shipping, and €124 a month for the service.  

SpaceX and Tesla chief Elon Musk announced availability of Starlink for RV via Twitter today but explained that the antenna is “too big for cars” and thus only suitable for RVs, camper vans and other large vehicles. 

It also won’t work while you are in motion, the company notes: “We do not support Starlink use in motion at this time. Using the Starlink Kit in motion will void the limited warranty of your Kit. While our teams are actively working to make it possible to use Starlink on moving vehicles (e.g., automobiles, RVs, boats), Starlink is not yet configured to be safely used in this way.”

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Starlink for RVs customers can expect high-speed, low-latency internet in areas marked on Starlink’s RV maps as “Available”. These currently include much of North America, larger EU nations and Britain, and the southern half of Australia, and New Zealand. 

However, users will experience “notably slower speeds during hours of peak usage in areas marked as “Waitlist” or during events with many collocated users.”

Starlink for RVs should offer between 50 Mbps to 250 Mbps download speeds, and between 5 Mbps to 100 Mbps download speeds in congested areas.

There are some differences between the “portability” option available to residential Starlink users that have a registered service address. Portability, which launched earlier this month, costs an extra $25 a month on top of the $110 standard fee, and might be subject to service degradation if it’s used in congested areas.   

Network resources for Starlink for RV, on the other hand, are “always de-prioritized” compared to other Starlink services, “resulting in degraded service and slower speeds in congested areas and during peak hours,” Starlink notes in a support page. 

“Stated speeds and uninterrupted use of the service are not guaranteed. Service degradation will be most extreme in “Waitlist” areas on the Starlink Availability Map during peak hours. See Starlink Specification for expected performance here.”

There’s no current waitlist for Starlink for RVs in markets where the service is available.