Starlink Marine is one of the premium Starlink plans offered by SpaceX. The company decided to offer a dedicated plan that will ensure a reliable internet connection in water transport vessels.
However, with the high cost of Starlink services, one would wonder whether they should make it part of their boat or use other alternatives.
We will show you what you should expect from this service regarding cost, speed, data caps and how it compares with other satellite internet service providers.
Table of Contents
- Starlink Marine Equipments and Setting Them Up
- Starlink Marine Speed
- Starlink Marine Plans and Costs
- Starlink Marine Data Caps
- Starlink Marine Vs. RV
- How Does Starlink Marine Compare to Other Marine Satellite Internet Options?
- Final Thought
Starlink Marine Equipments and Setting Them Up
The first step to getting started with Starlink Marine is to purchase the required hardware for installation. These include Starlink marine antenna/terminal, modem, and installation kit.
Starlink Marine’s high-performance dish is similar to what Business Plan offers.
However, it usually offers more than one dish, mostly two, for improved speed and obstruction mitigation.
Furthermore, you can combine up to six if you own a large yacht.
The equipment is easy to install on your vessel and comes packed with everything you will need for the project.
Just refer to the manual and strictly follow the instructions. A Starlink app in the App Store can help you position the dish.
The package includes a router that enables you to share connections with multiple devices in your boat.
There is also a modem that establishes the connection with satellites and a cable long enough for your wiring.
With the right equipment and proper installation, Starlink Marine will offer you a reliable high speed even at sea.
Starlink Marine Speed
Starlink offers a high-performance dish that guarantees great speed. The company promised up to 220 Mbps download speed while at sea.
However, it can combine up to six antennas on your vessel and get even higher speed.
Starlink Marine Plans and Costs
Starlink maritime costs vary depending on the coverage needed, the size of the vessel, and the plan you choose.
The cheapest will run you down at least a $2,500 one-time fee for the equipment.
The equipment cost can go up to $10,000 or more, depending on the number of dishes you want. Then come the installation fees.
After installation, you will again incur a monthly charge that will last as long as you use the Starlink service.
The two popular Starlink monthly service plans include 5 terabytes and 1 terabyte costing $5,000 and $1,000 per month, respectively.
This simply means for $5,000 or $1,000, you get 5,000GB or 1000GB of priority data every month, respectively.
However, the company recently introduced a plan that only costs $250 but only offers 50GB of priority data. This can be economical if you don’t consume a lot of data per month.
If you consume a lot of data, the first two plans will be more economical. They only cost $1 per GB, while the $250 plan costs $5 per GB, five times more.
Starlink Marine Data Caps
Starlink Marine offers priority data of 5TB per month. Initially, once you finished this priority data, you would continue receiving the internet but at a limited 1 Mbps download and upload speed.
However, the company recently added an alternative where, instead of polarizing throughput, you could pay $2 per GB and continue enjoying the high speed.
However, this will depend on your location, and you will receive a promotional email if you qualify.
Starlink Marine Vs. RV
Starlink RV, known as Roam plan, offers portable use on land.
Roam offers two options: Continental Roam, which you can access within the continent, and Global Roam, which you can access globally.
However, the company restricts the service for both options to land.
The Continental Roam is a little cheaper, costing $150 per month only.
The global option costs $200 monthly, which is still cheaper than the most affordable Starlink Marine plan.
RV Starlink hardware is cheaper and will only cost you a $599 one-time fee.
However, Starlink now offers Flat High-Performance Dish meant for In-motion RVs.
This equipment costs a one-time fee of $2,500, the same as what the cheapest Starlink Marine Plan will offer you.
You permanently install this high-end equipment on your vehicle and get a much-improved speed and connectivity.
Satellite dish on a motorhome
How Does Starlink Marine Compare to Other Marine Satellite Internet Options?
Satellites for marine connections have been around even before the introduction of Starlink by SpaceX.
Some satellite companies that offer Marine include Fleet One and Marlink Vast.
However, they are usually slower; many sailors only use them for emergencies.
Starlink solves the speed issue by offering around 220 Mbps download speed. With this, you will have the same connection experience on the sea as on the land.
The company implementation of the Marine Starlink satellite rocket launch offers high-quality live coverage.
Surprisingly, Starlink is more affordable than some competitors despite offering a better speed.
For instance, Marlink Vsat equipment costs up to $60,000 and still charges a monthly fee of $35,000.
Fleet, a common marine satellite option, is relatively cheaper, but you shell out quite more for speeds and data.
Launching Starlink satellite
Final Thought
Starlink can offer you a similar speed and reliability on the sea, just like you would experience on land.
Having Starlink on your marine vessel is worth it if you want a reliable internet connection for online activities.
Though it may be expensive to some people, the speed and the reliability you will get make it worth it.
