Starlink Changes Course With Rentals Going Back to $0

Starlink seems to have reversed its recent decision to charge a $ 10-per-month fee to rent its hardware, which was previously free. After a little more than a month of adding the fee, it's now been removed from new purchases of residential Starlink. The rental program, which started last year, is an alternative to purchasing the equipment up front. Customers in select U.S. areas still need to pay a $20 shipping fee to receive a Standard Starlink kit. 

It's the latest in a series of sudden price changes that are increasing the cost of getting connected with Starlink. While rentals now require a monthly fee, the option appears to be available in more regions in the U.S.

Under the new plan, customers no longer own their Starlink dish and must return it if they cancel their plan. However, they will have the opportunity to purchase their dish for the regular price of $349. If the customer cancels and fails to return the dish in an acceptable condition, Starlink will charge them the full cost. Customers have 30 days to return the dish.

It’s a drastic change in how Starlink does business, as it has been a notable outlier among internet providers by requiring an upfront cost to purchase its hardware. The vast majority of internet providers typically lease or include hardware with their service. Starlink has offered rental kits sporadically in some markets before, but this is the first time it’s been this widespread in the U.S.

Like many of Starlink’s recent deals, the rental plan is only available in designated regions with excess capacity. Starlink doesn’t give exact locations for where the rental option is available, but it’s likely within the Regional Discount area. When ordering from outside the discount area, the rental option isn’t available, and you may be subject to paying a congestion charge of up to $1,000. You need to input your address and see if the rental option is available at checkout.

While skipping the $349 purchase price of a dish is nice, renting the dish at $10 per month over three years will ultimately cost you more. With a fee, ownership is more appealing than renting if you're planning to stick with Starlink in the long run.  Plus, owning the Starlink kit lets you transfer/sell it in the future. It is also not compatible with the Roam plan, which lets you take your dish and use it anywhere. Starlink lets you purchase the dish after you receive it by submitting a support ticket, which transfers full ownership to you.