The satellite internet provider’s new policy forces customers who previously paused service for free to now pay $60 annually for a limited 0.5Mbps connection, even when their equipment sits unused.
Up until now, Starlink customers enjoyed a genuinely useful perk — the ability to pause their service for free.
Whether you were a part-time overlander, a seasonal RVer, or simply someone who didn’t need satellite internet year-round, the pause button meant you could shelve your monthly bill without losing your account.
When you were ready to hit the road or head back to your cabin, you’d simply unpause and pick up where you left off. In fact, that convenience is what finally pushed us to get a Starlink Mini ourselves.
That ends in 30 days.
A Price Hike in Disguise
Starlink’s newly announced “Standby Mode” will replace the old free pause option. The company now wants $5 a month — $60 a year — for the privilege of not using your regular plan.
In exchange, you’ll get a persistent 500Kbps (0.5Mbps) connection, which Starlink says is good for texting, navigation, and light web browsing.
They’ve pitched this as an upgrade, emphasizing the convenience of being able to update your Starlink unit at any time and instantly reactivate full service in emergencies or remote areas.
There’s some truth to that upside. Having a minimal connection at all times means your hardware stays current and you’re never more than a click away from restoring full-speed service. But for many customers, that’s a solution to a problem they never had — and one they didn’t have to pay for before.
The reality is simple: this is a price hike dressed up as a feature. Where a pause used to cost nothing, it will now carry a mandatory $5 monthly fee whether you use the low-speed connection or not.
Starlink can call it an upgrade, but for users who valued the free flexibility of pausing service entirely, it’s just another recurring charge to swallow.
Final Thoughts
For some, the benefits might justify the cost. For others, it may prompt a hard look at whether keeping a dormant Starlink account makes sense anymore. Either way, the era of free pauses is over.
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