Starlink RV: Get Satellite Internet on the Go With Starlink Roam

If you’re an RV owner, you know the importance of staying connected on the road. One of the best options for RV internet is Starlink Roam (formerly Starlink RV). This satellite internet plan offers unlimited high-speed internet and low latency anywhere within the Starlink coverage area. 

Starlink RV internet speeds vary by location. Most of North America has some level of coverage, but half of the U.S. is categorized as Low Capacity. That means you may deal with data-type deprioritization or internet throttling. But even with these limits, Starlink Roam is an effective satellite internet option that we recommend.

Jumplinks:

• How much does Starlink Roam cost?
• How fast is Starlink?
• Starlink Roam coverage map
• Starlink Roam requirements
• What is the difference between Starlink Roam and regular Starlink?
• Is Starlink Roam worth it?

For more information on these, check out our RV internet options guide.

Starlink Roam, or Starlink for RVs as we also call it throughout this article, costs $150 a month. It doesn’t require annual contracts, so you pay by the month with the option to pause and resume your Starlink Roam internet service anytime. 

Along with the monthly service cost, Starlink Roam requires a one-time hardware purchase. You can choose portable hardware for $599 or in-motion hardware for $2,500. 

The portable hardware is meant to be used while your RV is parked, and you have to pack it up between uses. The in-motion hardware gets permanently installed on your vehicle and gives you more consistent connectivity while on the go. (As of March 2023, in-motion hardware is available only in select areas.)

Starlink for RVs costs about $30 more per month than Starlink residential internet because it’s harder to deliver internet service to customers on the go. Starlink has to track and reconnect to your satellite each time you move and set up your portable hardware. 

Essentially, every time you connect to Starlink, the company has to assign you access to a specific area of Starlink’s LEO constellation. Think of it this way: Being an RV internet customer is kind of like being a new customer every time you connect to the internet. Starlink has to cover the costs and complexity of all those little adjustments. 

Starlink Roam understandably costs more than its residential plans, but the $150 a month price is still comparable to its competitors, especially for unlimited high-speed data and reliability. 

Traveling by RV costs more money than staying home too, but the experience and freedom are worth it. In the same way, convenient and reliable connectivity while traveling in your RV, it’s worth paying a bit extra.  

For more differences between these two Starlink plans, check out our Starlink RV vs. Residential comparison below.

Unlike many RV internet options, you can pause Starlink for RVs for as long as you like, and it doesn’t even cost an activation fee to get it working again. This is a flexible, pay-as-you-go option for RV satellite internet service that can be a good fit for lots of different travelers—whether you’re a weekend RV enthusiast or a year-round RV resident. 

Starlink RV speeds can range from 50–500Mbps, but the exact speed you get depends on where you are on the Starlink coverage map. This map shows which parts of the world have Starlink RV coverage, with areas marked as High Capacity, Low Capacity, or No Coverage. 

For example, as of March 2023, most of the western United States, Canada, and Mexico have High Capacity coverage, while California, Florida, and most of the Midwest are Low Capacity. High Capacity areas have faster speeds, and Low Capacity areas have slower speeds during peak hours, based on overall demand on the satellite network.

Starlink RV isn’t slower than residential Starlink per se, but Starlink prioritizes residential speeds over RV speeds. If you are in a High Capacity area and there is plenty of available bandwidth, you probably wouldn’t notice any difference in speeds. 

However, if you are in a Low Capacity area or connected to the internet at a time of day when lots of nearby residential users are maxing out their bandwidth, your RV internet speeds may slow down significantly.   

For more information on how Starlink RV compares to Starlink’s residential service, check out our Starlink RV vs. Regular Starlink section below.

Starlink offers RV internet coverage for the entire United States, Canada, Mexico, most of Europe, and several other countries including Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Japan, Nigeria, Peru, and the Philippines. Additional countries are scheduled to be added to the coverage map in 2023 and 2024. 

However, before you plan your next RV trip, be aware of which areas have High Capacity coverage versus Low Capacity coverage. For example, about half the United States only has Low Capacity coverage, including the West Coast states of California, Oregon, and Washington. As you cross state lines, especially during peak use times, your RV internet speeds could slow down noticeably.   

When you sign up for Starlink for RV internet service, you receive a package of equipment, including a Standard Starlink (the satellite dish), the Starlink Wi-Fi router, and a power source. The Standard Starlink is designed for portable use by RV drivers, and it costs $599.

The in-motion hardware is the new Flat High Performance Starlink satellite, and it is permanently installed on your vehicle. This higher-end equipment costs $2,500 and is available only in select areas (as of March 2023).

The Standard Starlink uses 50–75 Watts of power, and the Flat High Performance Starlink uses 110–150 Watts.

Starlink for RVs is a convenient portable internet service that lets you take the power of Starlink internet connectivity with you wherever you go. The overall customer experience is similar to regular residential Starlink, the coverage map is mostly the same, and it even uses the same Starlink hardware.

However, the biggest difference is the data deprioritization with Starlink’s RV internet service. RV internet customers should be prepared to experience slower speeds than residential customers, especially during peak use times. 

If you love life on the road but hate giving up your daily internet pleasures, Starlink RV is a perfect fit for you. It’s not the cheapest option for RV internet, but it gets high marks for reliability and customer satisfaction, and you can always pause the service if you want to head home. 

Just keep in mind that your speeds get deprioritized compared to residential users in your area, so don’t expect top Starlink speeds all the time. And be sure Starlink RV internet has service in the areas you want to visit. 

Starlink RV coverage now reaches all of the U.S., but half the country is Low Capacity. Consider other RV internet options if you want to visit the West Coast, Midwest, or Southeast. Still, if you can get it, Starlink Roam is a portable high-speed internet plan we deem totally worth it. 

Starlink for RV internet could be used at home, but residential Starlink is better suited for stationary home use. Plus, with Starlink for RVs, your internet speed could slow down due to data-type deprioritization. 

Starlink RV is now available in the U.S. and several other countries, but in-motion (permanently installed) satellite RV equipment is available only in select markets. Most Starlink RV customers can get the Portable equipment, which is the Standard Starlink device.

Starlink RV doesn't specify how many devices you can connect to its internet at once, but some users have reported up to 40 devices. Either way, you can connect multiple devices to Starlink RV.