Starlink Kills Portability—Should Longtime Customers Change Plans or Pay More?

As of February 23, 2025, Starlink will no longer support the Portability option for Residential customers currently subscribed to it. Instead, it will move those customers to the more expensive Roam Unlimited plan. Starlink offered the Portability add-on for customers in 2022 before it released its RV (later Roam) plans, which allowed customers to take their Starlink on the road. Those customers must decide whether to keep the Roam service, change to Residential, or cancel altogether.

If you’re new to Starlink and didn’t know about Portability, it’s because the company stopped offering it to new customers in 2023 after it fully implemented its Roam plans. Customers that previously had Portability enabled were grandfathered in and able to keep it active, but those customers received an email from Starlink, which many shared on social media. 

The portability add-on cost an extra $25 per month on top of the $120 per month residential service. Now that support is ending, those customers will be moved to the $165 Roam Unlimited plan, a $20 increase. 

Furthermore, Roam plans are deprioritized compared to fixed Residential plans, so download speeds for those customers may decrease unless they change plans. To add to the frustrations, designated areas (or cells) have limited space for Residential service. It’s why Starlink reintroduced waitlists for certain regions until its satellite coverage improves. 

Understandably, many Starlink users are unhappy with the mandated change. 

“It sucks that we're being forced to order new service instead of just removing portability,” commented one Reddit user. “It was an add-on to Residential anyway; why does it suddenly become a Roam account and not Residential by default? I'm frustrated, I guess. My cell is full, and since it's a 'new service,' it wants to waitlist me for Residential service.”

Starlink Portability customers looking to switch their service to Residential can do so in their account settings. 

1. Under “Your Starlinks,” select Manage next to your active Starlink.
2. Under the box that says “Service Plan,” select Manage
3. Select Change Plan
4. Select Residential (This option will only appear if it’s available in your area)

If you use your Starlink primarily for short-term trips, consider the 50GB Roam plan for $50 per month. If you want to cancel your Starlink plan, instead of selecting Change Plan, choose Cancel Service instead. 

If you use your Starlink for both home and/or travel but aren’t willing to pay $165 per month for internet access, consider other options. 

One, if Starlink was your primary internet because you live in a rural area or a nomadic lifestyle, it’s possible that more options have become available since. 

T-Mobile offers its 5G Home Internet to most of the U.S., including rural areas—it is just not as widespread as Starlink. It also offers an AWAY version of its home internet, which you can take on the road like Starlink with Portability. 

The Unlimited AWAY plan costs $160 per month, similar to Starlink Roam. However, with 5G speeds, you can expect speeds over 200Mbps, whereas Roam’s specifications indicate speeds of 30 to 100Mbps. If you prefer a prepaid option, 5G Hotspots from the major mobile carriers are also viable for travel.

Some upcoming options include new competition from Amazon through Project Kuiper, which aims to provide high-speed internet through satellites for home and portable use. It’s expected to begin testing in 2025 and be consumer-ready in the coming years. 

Starlink is also developing a solution for travelers to remote places. Its Direct to Cell service will allow mobile phone users to connect to Starlink satellites as if they were cellular towers. As the service is extended, Starlink plans to enable text, voice, and data transmission for T-Mobile customers.