Key Takeaways
1. Starlink has introduced a $15/month Residential Lite plan for eligible low-income residents in New York, complying with the New York Affordable Broadband Act.
2. The standard Starlink Residential plan costs $120/month, offering unlimited data and speeds up to 400 Mbps, while the Lite plan provides deprioritized data at speeds as low as 40 Mbps.
3. Low-income residents can access the Residential Lite plan with speeds of 25 Mbps for just $15/month, but must meet eligibility requirements.
4. To sign up, low-income households must register with matching address documents on the Starlink support website, using the “New York Affordable Broadband Act” as the ticket subject.
5. Starlink initially tried to avoid compliance with the law but has committed to providing affordable internet options for eligible residents recognizing potential growth in the state.
The recently introduced Starlink Residential Lite plan from SpaceX is now available at a significantly reduced price for some residents of New York state, being five times less than the usual cost.
New Pricing for Eligible Residents
To adhere to the New York Affordable Broadband Act, which was implemented recently, Starlink has rolled out a new $15/month Residential Lite plan for qualifying individuals in the state. In comparison, the standard Residential plan from Starlink is priced at $120/month and offers unlimited data with speeds reaching up to 400 Mbps, depending on the coverage area provided by the SpaceX satellite network. The $80 Residential Lite plan, however, offers deprioritized data with speeds as low as 40 Mbps.
Affordable Options for Low-Income Subscribers
For low-income residents in New York who are okay with even slower speeds, the Residential Lite plan now allows them to access 25 Mbps for only $15/month. It’s important to emphasize that this $15/month Starlink price is exclusively available to those residents who meet the eligibility requirements set by the New York Affordable Broadband Act.
Signing Up for the Service
Starlink requires low-income households interested in the Residential Lite plan to register using an address that matches their supporting documents. They must submit these documents for approval by creating a ticket on the www.support.starlink.com website with “New York Affordable Broadband Act” as the ticket subject line.
Sadly, this also means that low-income New Yorkers relying on Medicaid or SNAP must purchase their own $350 Starlink Standard Kit, which is currently discounted on Amazon, as this is the only method to sign up for the Residential Plan service.
Company Compliance and Growth
Starlink attempted to evade the requirements of the New York Affordable Broadband Act by arguing that its subscriber numbers in the state were below the thresholds specified in the law. However, recognizing its potential for significant growth, Starlink has committed to providing at least 25 Mbps Internet speed for $15/month to eligible low-income residents in New York.
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