Starlink “pauses” the pause option for Roam customers in favor of a low-speed Standby Mode for both Roam and Residential customers.
Starlink Replaces Free Pause Option With $5 Standby Mode
2 min readCustomers of Starlink’s Roam plan will no longer be able to pause their subscription free of charge. Instead, the pause option for the plan has been replaced by a “Standby Mode,” which puts the service in a low-bandwidth mode at the cost of $5 per month.
The pause function was popular among Roam customers who temporarily used their Starlink for short periods, such as weekend trips, without continuing to pay the monthly subscription, which ranges from $50 for the 50GB plan to $165 for the unlimited plan.
Standby for a low-speed Starlink option
The Standby Mode has immediately replaced the previous pause option for Roam users. | Screen capture from Starlink.com
While the pause function cuts off all data usage to the Starlink dish, the Standby Mode allows for an unlimited low-speed connection at 500Kbps or 0.5Mbps. It’s far from the speeds of an activated account, which can reach up to 230Mbps, but it’s still sufficient for basic communication and web browsing.
Starlink didn’t make a formal announcement about the change, but it did send an email to customers currently using the pause feature. The message, which was shared dozens of times over social media, states these users have 30 days to opt into Standby Mode. It also mentions users can cancel their subscription at no charge. The change in options is effective immediately for Roam customers on a fully active plan.
The Standby Mode is also being added to Residential plans. However, Starlink’s support site states that putting a Residential plan on Standby will not guarantee that the account’s spot in their location, meaning that if their region becomes too congested, they may not be able to reactivate to a high-speed plan.
Starlink customers split on Standby Mode
Reactions to the new Standby Mode have been mixed online. Some customers lament the loss of the pause feature, calling the $5 monthly fee a bait-and-switch. While customers can still cancel their service at any time and reactivate it at any time, it’s less convenient since you can’t cancel via the Starlink app. Some also fear they’ll be forced to pay a reactivation fee. Starlink has a precedent for implementing reactivation fees in certain markets, as stated on its Support page.
Other customers are welcoming the new option, mentioning that it’s a low-cost solution for internet access as a backup or for use in emergencies.
