Starlink Mini drops residential subscriptions and opens up to everyone in the US

The Starlink Mini dish from SpaceX is now available in the United States. The Mini dish comes in a package that includes the dish itself and a Wi-Fi router; however, it’s substantially more compact and energy-efficient than previous Starlink models. The dish, which is as big as a standard-sized laptop, can even be powered by a 100W USB-PD power bank.

When it launched a few weeks ago, it was only available as an add-on to current residential subscribers. However, as spotted by The Verge, SpaceX has now made it available more widely, and anyone in the country can purchase the kit through Starlink’s website. The kit is priced at $599 and has a 30-day trial. Subscribers can choose between two plans — Regional and Mini Roam — and neither requires a long-term contract. Once purchased, the kit arrives within two weeks and can be set up for use.

The Regional data plan costs $150 per month and offers unlimited mobile data. Users, however, will need to pay extra for “ocean or in-motion use.” In comparison, the Mini Roam costs just $50, though the monthly data cap is set to 50GB. It does, however, cover in-motion use, so it might be a better choice for digital nomads.

Extra GB can be purchased through the Starlink app, so you can top off your data as needed if you go with the Mini Roam. Users can also choose to pause both plans when needed if they need flexibility with their data usage.

Starlink notes that users can connect up to 128 devices to the Mini’s dish. However, the more devices you connect, the slower the internet speed will be for each device. Although the Mini is now widely available to consumers across the US, it hasn’t rolled out in all countries with Starlink connectivity yet. That said, customers in a few Latin American countries have been able to purchase the Mini dish at a cheaper price.