Starlink Mobility: Unleashing Satellite Internet on the Move

Starlink Mobility brings satellite internet on the move with you. Only a handful of solutions exist for getting a reliable internet connection while moving, and even fewer have high download speeds.

Starlink Mobile Priority plans are the top tier of the provider's service, allowing you to access the highest possible speeds while traveling on the freeway, ocean, or air. 

We’ll explore Mobile Priority (also called Starlink Mobility or Maritime) and see where it fits into the overall Starlink lineup and if it's right for you.

Starlink Mobile Priority is the plan sold under Starlink's use cases of mobility, mobile business, and maritime. It uses the Flat High-Performance dish, which is designed to be mounted to a vehicle and used in motion. This makes the plan ideal for emergency response, trucking, and sea travel.

The speeds available are excellent for satellite, at up to 220Mbps download and 25Mbps upload—these speeds are comparable to wired connections, which is impressive not only for satellite but also for in-motion satellite.

Users on one of these plans get priority during times of increased network demand. This setup makes it ideal for the type of use cases it’s advertised for, since you won’t have to worry about slowdowns due to network congestion.

Starlink Mobile Priority is the provider's most expensive plan. It starts at $250 per month for 50GB of priority data—enough for light or occasional use but likely not enough for many users. The plans do offer unlimited standard data, but this won’t carry the same priority status, which could potentially make it unsuitable for mission-critical applications.

Here are the breakdowns of the Starlink Mobility pricing tiers:

In addition to the staggering monthly costs, there's also an up-front, one-time equipment fee of $2,500. 

Ultimately, these prices make Starlink Mobile Priority a luxury option. Even if you’re in your RV full-time or frequently on a boat, $250 a month is a lot for internet when compared to other options.

Starlink Mobile Priority is hard to compare with other mobile internet options because there really aren’t any that match Starlink’s offering. It’s an in-motion service—only cellular internet, like 5G, is available as an in-motion option for most consumers. Coverage is likely to be much better than cellular, with no need to worry about proximity to cell towers. Finally, Starlink is quite fast for satellite internet, which can open it up to applications that otherwise might not be available—rapid communications, video conferencing, or streaming video.

Ultimately, if you need that in-motion capability and speed, combined with the exceptional coverage of satellite service, Starlink Mobility may be worth the steep cost.

Starlink Mobile Priority has a wide variety of use cases, from streaming the big game on your yacht to life-saving communication in the field.

For more recreational uses, it's a nice amenity if you live or practically live in your RV and your passengers need internet while driving the open road. For boat owners, it's not just a luxury but also a lifeline in emergency situations—providing access to navigation tools and communication to land.

There are also more professional uses for Starlink Mobile Priority. Businesses that are mobile, whether on land or sea, can benefit from a constant internet connection. For emergency responders in remote locations, it can be a life-saving communication tool.

If you don’t need to use the internet in-motion or don’t need the extreme coverage of satellite, it almost certainly makes more sense to go with either another satellite plan (such as one of Starlink’s other offerings) or a mobile hotspot plan from a cellular provider like T-Mobile.

If Starlink Mobile Priority seems too expensive or overkill, don’t worry—you’ve got plenty of other options for mobile internet or rural internet.

Perhaps the best analog for Starlink Mobility would be a 5G plan from one of the major cellular carriers. There are several options here:

• A cellular plan with hotspot data, using your phone as the hotspot
• A separate data plan with a dedicated hotspot
• A 5G home internet plan

All three major carriers—T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T—offer these options. The cell plans and hotspot plans are most useful for the types of in-motion or on-the-go applications we’re discussing here. Any of these options will be much more affordable than Starlink Mobility, and the coverage is getting quite good as well, although it’s still not as widespread as satellite.

Starlink offers several other satellite internet plans that may suit your needs. While none offer the in-motion capability of Starlink Mobility, they are all more affordable. There are a few options that may suit your needs:

• Starlink Standard: This is Starlink’s residential satellite internet service, designed for people who only need satellite internet at a single, fixed location.
• Starlink Mobile: Formerly known as Starlink Roam, this plan is for RV and portable service. It’s not designed for in-motion use, but the dish can be taken from place to place and set up as needed.

If you intend to use your internet service in a single, fixed location, such as a home or regular campsite, you can also consider two of our favorite satellite providers—Hughesnet and Viasat.

Both providers offer flexible plan selections so you can get the speed you need without overpaying. The major difference between the two is that Hughesnet offer unlimited data, while Viasat does not.

Finally, if you’re looking for RV internet, or something to use on the road, you can always opt to use campground Wi-Fi (or any other public network). The main advantage here is that these networks are generally free to use. Of course, the disadvantages are that they’re public (and thus less secure), and they tend to be slower than some of the other options on this list. This is a potentially viable option, but it’s our least favorite on this list.

Starlink’s newest satellite offering, Starlink Mobility, promises to help power your on-the-move connection. The speeds, data allotments, and ability to use the service while in motion are all major positives. However, Starlink Mobility is extremely expensive, likely putting it out of reach for most casual non-business users.

Fortunately, there’s no shortage of alternatives available these days, including 5G mobile internet and other satellite providers. Whatever your needs, we’re sure you can find the perfect plan for you.