Key Takeaways
1. Starlink has increased the demand surcharge for new Residential customers in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho to $1000 in major cities like Seattle and Portland.
2. This surcharge has risen three times in 30 days, starting from $100 over a year ago, and is now combined with the Standard Kit price for a total upfront cost of $1,349.
3. The surcharge is specific to congested areas and does not apply in less competitive regions, where the Standard Kit may still be available for $349 or even for free with a 12-month commitment.
4. Residents in crowded areas may want to wait for SpaceX to improve network capacity before signing up for Starlink to avoid high costs.
5. For immediate access, customers can choose the Roam plan with the Standard dish, but they will experience reduced data speeds during peak times.
If you’re a resident of Washington, Oregon, or Idaho and considering getting Starlink service, you might want to think about postponing your signup. Starlink has stealthily increased the “demand surcharge,” which is a one-time cost for new Residential customers in heavily populated regions, to a staggering $1000.
New Pricing for Major Cities
Residents in Seattle, Redmond, Portland, and Sandpoint are now encountering this new $1000 fee when they attempt to enroll in the Residential plan, as reported by PCMag. This marks the third significant increase in the surcharge within just 30 days, starting from when the fee was first set at $100 over a year ago. In early June, it rose from $250 to $500, and then a few weeks later, it increased again to $750 for new sign-ups. However, it seems this was not enough to discourage new customers, prompting SpaceX to add yet another $250 last week, resulting in the total reaching an incredible $1000. Alongside the Standard Kit’s price of $349, newcomers are now looking at an upfront cost of $1,349 just to access the service.
Surcharge Specifics and Market Insights
SpaceX clarifies that the demand surcharge is only for those who are purchasing or activating a new Residential service plan in these congested zones. Washington stands out as one of the most crowded markets for Starlink, with Seattle showing some of the lowest average download speeds, which range from 54Mbps to 223Mbps. The silver lining is that this high surcharge is confined to certain areas in the Northwest. In other parts of Washington, where Starlink appears to have less competition, new customers only have to pay the standard $349 for the dish. Moreover, in some regions of Oregon and Idaho, SpaceX is still offering the Standard Kit for free if you agree to a 12-month commitment to the Residential plan.
Waiting It Out or Alternative Options
If you’re living in one of these congested areas, it might be wise to hold off until SpaceX can enhance its network capacity and eliminate the surcharge. However, if you need Starlink right away, you still have the option to purchase the Standard dish and activate the Roam plan instead. Just keep in mind that Roam users experience deprioritized data, meaning download speeds, especially during peak times, won’t be as fast as what you would expect from the Residential tier.
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