Starlink has changed the name of their portable service from Starlink RV to Starlink Roam. Regional Roam is just like the previous RV plan, which enabled you to use Starlink anywhere within your own continent. Global Roam enables you to use Starlink anywhere with active Starlink coverage, across multiple continents. This new global roaming service allows your Starlink dish to connect to satellites virtually anywhere on land in the world.
The previous Starlink RV and Portability add-on allowed continental travel, but Starlink Global Roam enables inter-continental travel without many of the restrictions applied to the other portability tiers. In this article, I am going to tell you everything you need to know about Starlink Roam. I will cover what it is, what it costs, how it works, and who it would be a good fit for.
Table of Contents
What Is Starlink Roam?
Starlink Roam is a service plan from Starlink that enables on land travel with a Starlink dish. There are two options for Starlink Roam: Regional Roam, and Global Roam. Starlink Roam is Starlink’s portable service product line, and it is the new name for Starlink RV. Starlink satellites cover nearly all land on Earth, but the service is still available based on regulatory approval. You can check for up-to-date coverage information on the Starlink availability map.
Both Roam services come with a Standard Starlink hardware kit. Regional Roam has an option to upgrade to the Flat High Performance hardware for in-motion use. The Standard equipment is identical to the equipment sold with Residential. Contents of the kit include the Starlink dish, stand, router, and cables. Find out more about what comes with a Starlink kit here.
Starlink Roam Cost
The hardware kit for Global Roam costs $599, and you will pay $200 per month for the service. Global Roam can be paused so that you aren’t billed when it’s not in use. There are no contracts required, and customers can return the kit within 30 days for a full refund if they are not satisfied. Regional Roam (formerly Starlink RV) costs $150/month, with the hardware kit starting at $599.
You can also transfer previously used Starlink equipment into a new Global Roam or Regional Roam account. For details on this process, check out our guide on transferring and activating service for a used dish.
How Does Global Roaming Work?
The technology that allows global roaming to work is the inter-satellite links that have been going into service on the newer generations of Starlink satellites. Also known as the ‘space lasers’, these inter-satellite laser links allow for incredibly fast satellite to satellite communication. Global connectivity is achieved by reducing the amount of ground stations required to send data to the internet.
Before the space lasers, data was sent to the internet only via Starlink ground stations. Since there aren’t ground stations in every country, some areas of the globe were simply too far away from ground stations to be reliably serviced. The laser links allow data to be sent from satellite to satellite, through the Starlink constellation, and then to the optimal ground station. This enables low latency, high speed internet virtually anywhere on Earth.
Who Is It For?
At $200/month, Global Roam isn’t exactly cheap compared to most internet plans. In my opinion, Global Roaming will be best for international travelers or organizations who require Starlink service on multiple continents. Starlink Regional Roam is still available for $50/month cheaper, and will appeal to people who don’t need to travel between continents.
If connectivity is important to you on land, across the globe, Global Roam is a great value. There aren’t any other providers that offer global coverage with low latency and high speeds. My guess is that a lot of non-profits, businesses, and other organizations who operate in many different locations around the world will be the first to utilize this new service.
Regular domestic travelers, which includes most RV’ers, overlanders, campers, etc., will still find the best value with Regional Roam. With Regional Roam, you still have the ability to travel within an entire continent, you just can’t cross into another one.
Regional Roaming vs Global Roaming
You may be wondering, what’s the difference between Regional and Global Roaming? The first major difference is that Global Roam doesn’t have travel restrictions like the Regional plan. Starlink Regional Roam is limited to use within the same continent as the customers shipping address. Global Roam doesn’t have that restriction, so it can be used globally on virtually any continent.
The other difference is cost. Starlink Regional Roam costs $150/month, while Global Roam costs $200/month. The equipment cost for both services is the same at $599.
Finally, the last important distinction between Regional and Global Roam is that the in-motion, Flat High Performance hardware is not available for Global Roaming. The in-motion Starlink hardware can only be purchased on the Regional Roam plan.
What Speeds Do I Get With Starlink Roam?
Both Starlink Roam plans (Regional and Global) are deprioritized on the Starlink network. That means in times of network congestion, performance may suffer compared to Residential and Business Starlink customers in the area. That said, Starlink says Roam customers will get between 5-50 mbps download speeds, and 2-10 mbps upload speeds.
It’s also important to note that the Starlink satellite constellation isn’t yet finished. Starlink says that Global Roam customers should expect higher latency and regular service interruptions. Global roaming, as of right now, is a best effort kind of service. As more laser links come online, reliability and performance will improve. Regional Roam customers, who are typically in areas with existing Starlink ground stations, will have less of an issue with interruptions and reliability.
Does Roam Have Unlimited Data?
Starlink Roam plans come with unlimited data, there are no caps or limits. Roam traffic is deprioritized on the Starlink network, so your speeds may be reduced or throttled in times on network congestion.
How Do I Order?
You will find the Roam service on the Starlink.com website, under the Roam menu. From there, enter your shipping address. Then, pick whether you want the standard Portable or the Mobile hardware (Mobile is not available with Global Roam). Finally, select Regional or Global Roam.
Finish filling out your information, and place the order. Billing starts 14 days after your order ships. You have up to 30 days from delivery to return your Starlink kit for a full refund.
How To Switch Between Global And Regional Roam
Starlink makes it pretty easy to switch between the Global and Regional Roam plans. Let’s say you typically only travel with Starlink in the US, but you have an upcoming trip to South America. You can switch to Global Roam to be able to use your dish outside of North America, and then switch back to the cheaper Regional plan when you return.
To switch between Global and Regional, log in to your Starlink.com account portal. Click Manage next to your Roam plan. Then click Change Service Plan. Choose between Regional, Global, and even the entry-level Maritime plan if you need to use Starlink at sea.
Restrictions With Starlink Roam
The two month restriction remains in place for both Starlink Roam plans. Starlink says that users who stay in one country for more than 2 months will need to update their registered address:
3.3 Limitation and Requirements for Starlink Roaming Users. Starlink Roaming Services is a consumer product only and is not available for purchase or use by commercial, enterprise, or governmental users. If you use Starlink Roaming Services for more than two months in a country that is different than your shipping address, Starlink may require you to move your registered address to your new location. Starlink does not guarantee when or where Starlink Roaming Services will be available. Starlink Roaming Services are dependent on many factors, including obtaining or maintaining the necessary regulatory approvals which are subject to change. Find a list of authorized territories (marked “Available or Waitlist”) on Starlink map: www.starlink.com/map.
Starlink Roaming Terms of Service
According to Starlink, the ‘registered address’ mentioned above is only for tax and billing purposes. So if you originally ordered Roam in Mexico, but stay in Canada for more than 2 months, the address on your Starlink account could update to Canada for tax and billing purposes. If the new country has a higher subscription cost, you may see your monthly bill increase.
Final Thoughts
The branding from Starlink RV to Starlink Roam came as a surprise to me and most Starlink fans. But after digging through the details and writing this article, I already feel confident that it was a smart move. After all, customers are using the portable Starlink service for way more than just RV’s. I feel that the new Roam name reflects the possibilities of the service even better than before.
The global roaming feature available with Starlink Roam is going to be a hit for many international travelers and organizations. Now you won’t have to worry about where you buy the equipment. You just buy it once and go, without worrying about straying outside of the original continent you purchased it in.
Do you find the features of Global Roam appealing for your situation? Is $200/month a reasonable price for this feature for the ability to travel globally? I would love to know your thoughts in the comments!
Thanks for the article.
We currently have a residential plan for our cottage in Ontario. I have heard from others that they have a separate kit and pay an extra $30 a month to have it at their home also. Would this be considered the roam kit and would you only be able to use it in one place at a time? Thanks for the help!
It would be a separate hardware kit and service plan. Not sure on prices in Canada, but in the US it would be $150/month for a Roam subscription, in addition to the $120/month you already pay for Residential. Roam can be used anywhere. Residential is locked to the service address. Equipment/hardware is identical between Residential and Roam.
Thank you for all your helpful info. I live in Wisconsin and have a cabin in Ontario. I’m thinking Starlink Regional Roam could possibly work for us during the summer months. We are remote but based on the Starlink map, roam service is available. Since I have no mail service at the Ontario location, it appears I will need to buy and register with my address in Wisconsin since the equipment cannot be shipped to the cabin. 1. Do I have to set everything up in Wisconsin to test the connection or can I just order the equipment, take it to Canada and set it up there? 2. Once I pause the service, is there a possibility the following summer we won’t have service due to demand in the area or with Roam it does not matter? 3. We may possibly need the service for 3 months. Due to the 2 month restriction, do I simply change the address on the account to the cabin’s address?
1. No need to set everything up in Wisconsin. Roam can be used anywhere, it isn’t locked to any specific address.
2. No, with Roam there is no waitlist or capacity issues. You’ll just experience slower speeds in congested areas, since Roam traffic is deprioritized on the Starlink network.
3. Correct, they have started putting a service address even on Roam accounts. I still haven’t heard of any reports from readers about the effects of the 2 month restriction. My guess is that it just has to do with billing and payment currency.
Thank you for all the helpful info! If order my equipment initially with a global plan, but eventually end up only wanting to use it in one location, is it possible to switch from global to residential?
Only if the address has open availability (no waitlist).
Hello and thank you for the article as I have had a difficult time determining what plan I should choose. We are in rural Missouri and are out of the service area for residential right now, but that is our end goal. We are on the wait list for residential, however, we need internet service now. I was reading up on the Roam to see if it would be a good option in the meantime as we have not yet been offered the best choice option thus far. One speedbump I have come to is whether we would need the Mobile Priority as we are not in a residential service area. The wording on the Starlink site is a bit vague.
Thank you,
Alyssa
The regular Mobile plan would work. Mobile Priority gives you higher traffic priority on the network and some additional features.
I live in a high roof van and plan to be in BC for 6 months a year. The rest of the time I will travel in the US and Mexico, possibly Guatemala. I may go further south as well once Starlink is available in other countries in Central America. My question is threefold: first of all, I don’t want to have to climb up on my roof to put the dish up every time I want to use the internet. Can you install the dish permanently on the top (ie without the stand)? Secondly, what are the electrical requirements so my electrician can rough in the wiring for the dish? Finally, how easy is it to turn off the service and turn it back on again if I find myself staying in a place with internet I can access from someone else. Do I have to pay a reconnection fee each time I do this? Is there a waiting period?
They make the Flat High Performance version that can be flat mounted to your roof. The power supply connects to an AC power outlet. There is a single cable that supplies power and data to the antenna on the roof. The power supply and router can be mounted anywhere in the van, and the cable from the dish would connect to them.
You can pause the service from the app or website in monthly increments. No fees or anything to resume service. No waiting period for the Mobile service plans.
Hello and Thank you for making this website possible. It has been super helpful to me while deciding which satellite internet service to purchase.
Currently I live in the Sacramento area of California and have purchased off-grid property in Nevada, 600 miles away. My plan is to move permanently to the Nevada property in about one year. Meanwhile, I am traveling back and forth on the weekends to get the property ready. I want to test Starlink when I visit the property to do work and use it here at my current address the rest of the time. On reading your article it seems the Roam service is not in my best interests. It seems the best way to make sure I have hardware that can be transferred to my new permanent address in a year while using it on the weekends in Nevada is to buy a residential plan for my current permanent address. What is your suggestion? How should I purchase Starlink to use here at my California address and for the next 3 months of weekends (until winter weather closes the hiways) in Nevada? Until I move to the property permanently I do not have a residential address only map coordinates.
Thanks,
Sherry
Roam would be your best option. You could get Residential and just change the address each time you go out, but to me it just seems easier to get Roam right now, and then change it to Residential once you are settled in Nevada. If the Nevada address is open for Residential, it should be fairly easy to switch.
I live in Ontario Canada and I’m thinking of getting Starlink for a cottage we purchased in Newfoundland.
I’m unsure what one or service option I should get. I will only be in Newfoundland a couple of times a year and would like to be able to stop/pause my service when I’m not there.
If I get the residential plan, is that doable or are there any issues with stopping and restarting as needed.
With the RV or roam plan be the better option and would I be able to use it in both Ontario and Newfoundland?
I recommend the Roam plan if you need to start/stop service often. With Roam, you can just pause billing when you aren’t there. Or you could take it to multiple locations if you wish. Residential can’t be paused, and can’t be used at multiple locations. It’s really only best for full-time home internet. Roam is better for vacation homes or portable use.
As a follow up to this reply… I am currently Residential at our summer home. I want to stop the service in October, when would I need to switch to Roam if I want to take advantage of the start/stop features?
When making the with from Residential to Roam, the change happens immediately. You could pause service right away, and you would still have service until the end of your current billing period.
I plan to travel in a caravan, within my own country for 6 months of the year and be at my home for 6 months.
Can I use ROAM when at home?
Yes, you can use Roam at home. Really the only disadvantage of Roam, compared to Residential, is the deprioritized service (slower speeds). But it still works fine being used at home.
Does this mean that if I used the device in the United States and went to Yemen for two months, the service would be interrupted and I could not use it? Well, Yemen does not have a full permit to use the service
If you pick the Global plan it would most likely work. The satellite coverage is there despite regulatory approval not being ready yet.
Just purchased the Starlink Roam Kit. It’s being delivered to my home in the US but bought specifically for a cabin in Canada. We are going to test the set up at our house and move it to the Canada location for the month we are there. But I’m getting some warnings from people that use it about it possibly being “geo locked” to our primary residence. Thinking they may mean a residential unit, not the Roam. But want to make sure.
They probably mean the Residential unit, Roam isn’t locked to any address.
Is Add Portability still available in Canada? I don’t see it on manage account
Starlink has removed Portability in all markets I believe. They want people to purchase a separate unit/plan for travel. If you had already enabled Portability it would stay on your account, but new customers can’t add it to Residential anymore.
Hi I am thinking of joining Starlink but have read some conflicting info on the internet.
BTW this site is so informative thank you.
So if we purchased the kit and link up in the UK I presume we will get a UK IP.
We also have a mobile inbthe south of France that we visit 3 to 4 times a year for periods of up to 4 weeks max.
Can I transport my hardware down and set it up each time we go?
Will that work on a temporary basis or will they disconnect the service?
Also will the IP remain as UK or will it change to a French one? (Needing a VPN).
I have checked and the service is available to order in my French address
Thanks in advance
If you order the portable service plan (Roam/Mobile) you can travel between the UK and France without an issue. Just pack it up and go, it works anywhere within Europe (or globally if you select the Global plan). Your IP will come from whatever POP you are connected to, usually coming from a major city inside the country you are located. So it would be a French IP while in France.
Sorry, this is incorrect. I’m from the Netherlands and sailed to the Azores, been here for a month+ but my internet address is still in Amsterdam. So no VPN needed!
Good to know, thank you for the info!
does starlink roam pause and resume in 30 day increments? meaning you pay then pause 15 days in then you have another 15 days left?
Yes, that is correct.
Thanks for the good information. If I buy a Starlink V2 kit from eBay (reputable seller), do I just select Roam when I activate it since the hardware is the same?
Yes, when you receive the equipment and kit#, just head to Starlink.com, select the Roam page, and enter your shipping address to start the order. When you get to the order page, check the “I already have my Starlink” box, enter the kit#, and continue filling out the form. If successful, you will just owe the monthly service fee price, no equipment costs.
Noah is it possible for me to buy a brand new kit from eBay or Amazon and activate it in a different continent like South America (Colombia or Brazil)?
Don’t buy anything off eBay or Amazon. Starlink doesn’t sell on these platforms, these are all 3rd party scalpers. You can buy from Starlink directly and request a country transfer if necessary.
Does Roam have its own router to produce the wifi signal? Do you connect it into a traditional router?
Roam is the same equipment as Standard (Residential). It will come with a Wifi router that the dish plugs in to. You don’t need your own router unless you want to add one.
Excellent article. I do have a StarLink in motion package. I was using it on my boat going up and down the east coast. Received a email saying that I had to switch plans to the maritime with the 50 gigs. I wanted to know if my unit will still work after I use the 50 gigabytes or do I have to opt in to pay for the extra. It doesn’t seem right if you don’t use them they don’t roll over but you have to pay for extra. Hopefully they can come up with a better plan.
Starlink has started enforcing the location limitations of the plans. So after you have used your Mobile Priority data, you won’t have any connection except for on land, where you will get unlimited Mobile data. It seems as though their geo-fencing is pretty accurate, so it probably won’t work after 50GB on the coastal waters.
We have Starlink Roam for our RV $170CDN. Should I opt-in for the Mobile Priority Data charged per GB? I can’t seem to find a rate comparison on the internet.
Only if you need in-motion use with the Flat High Performance dish, or you want higher priority on the Starlink network for faster speeds during peak hours. In my opinion, it’s not worth it unless you are experiencing performance issues with your current service and want more consistency.
I notice that residential has now dropped to $199.00 for the hardware but roam is still at $350.00. Can I purchase residential and switch to roam later? This is for my cabin in Canada and I only need it for the summer. I could save money on the hardware if they will allow that.
Yes, you can switch service plans at any time from the Starlink account dashboard.
I have the same deal in New Zealand ($199) and I need to work in DR (Dominican Republic) to see the in-laws for a couple of months. I was wondering the same but scraping through this information here (thank you 🙂 ).
If seems there is no way of buying the kit in New Zealand for the reduced price and transferring it to DR region.
Not sure I’ll go with it at this point, because it’ll cost $750 USD just to get started. Where I can use mobile bonding servers to join 2 connections together to achieve the same maybe for a lot cheaper.
Unless I missed something? If there is a cheaper way to get in the door with starlink, I would be interested… I don’t need it at home, as I have a 1Gb connection already for $50 per-month. So it would only be when I’m travelling.
Is the New Zealand deal only for Residential service? You can still purchase the kit and Residential plan, and then just convert it to Global Roam. The Global Roam plan allows it to work virtually anywhere around the globe. Service can also be paused when you aren’t traveling.
I was just on Starlink website and I was going to do the exact same service as the above comment. I also have a summer cabin in Canada, but live in Indiana. I noticed that the hardware was $599. Is the Residential hardware still $199 somewhere? And I can switch to the Roam service at anytime?
Very informative. Is it possible to buy a Starlink kit in the UK but with the registered country/address as Rwanda and the subscription for Rwanda set on regional roaming?
The continent restriction is based on the shipping address. So if you had it shipped to the UK, you would need Global Roam to use it in Rwanda.
Starlink is officially available in Rwanda..Why would you order in the UK only to get all these geo fencing bruhaha
Great article. Do you know if Global Roaming will work in areas marked “Starting in 2023”?
Answered my own question using your link to Starlink coverage!
My area of interest is labelled as “No Coverage” so based upon your response to Austin, Global Roam will not work there.
Thank you!
It depends on the regulations in the specific countries where Starlink isn’t active. In some places that don’t actively seek to block Starlink users from operating in the country, it will work, because the satellites offer global coverage. But to be on the safe side, refer to the Starlink Roam coverage map and go off of that. Using it in places with no official coverage should be done at your own risk (i.e it’s not guaranteed to work).
Thanks for the article! Curious to see if Roam could be a work around for areas that have service “Expanding in 2023”. So an area not just on a waitlist but an area that doesn’t seem to have service available yet (in Fairplay, CO). Wondering if Roam will still work in these areas or if it only works where Starlink is currently available according to their availbility map? I saw some other questions like this but wanted to ask it more directly. Thanks a bunch!
Colorado is covered, just waitlisted in many areas. But yes, Roam would work anywhere that isn’t labeled “No Coverage” on the map, including in those “Expanding in 2023” waitlist areas. It’s just slower service due to the deprioritization.
Thank you for the response! I appreciate your time. I was confused that “Expanding in 2023” just meant that the area was waitlisted. Thanks again.
You said “You have to have a Residential plan. When you go into your account dashboard, you hit Manage next to your Residential plan, and then hit Add Portability.”
No “Add Portability” and if I edit Service Plan RESIDENTAL I get “No products available to change”
If you are talking about how to add Portability, it’s no longer available in the US. So that may be why you don’t see it. What market are you in? I still see the option to change to Roam on my Starlink units.
I’m outside of Sacramento, Auburn CA 95602. Have had system for about a year and just checked there is no issue with getting a new residential for my area. Just can’t switch to roam.
ie. When selecting the edit button I get the following.CHANGE SERVICE PLANBy changing service plans, you are accepting the of the new plan. Read more here.
No products available to change
That’s very odd. They must be restricting new Roam accounts in that area? Reach out to Starlink via support ticket to see if they can manually convert your account.
There is no help from Starlink.
Go to create ticket and I get in red, for the past 6 days.
Customers are temporarily experiencing longer wait times for support. We’re working to resolve this, but for the fastest resolution now, see our Help Center or download the Starlink App.
Nice huh…. Not really impressed by them.
I am in the US. We currently have DirectTV/AT&T internet at the residence, DirectTV/Hughes.net at the cabin and an RV that we would like to be able to watch TV and have internet in. My hope is to be able get either Starling Residence with portability or Starling Roam and dump DirectTV, AT&T and Hughes.net plus gain ability to stream in the RV. Is that realistic? I could see getting some additional mounting equipment for the home and cabin and will need some cable, but is the other equipment cumbersome to disconnect and move around?
Yes, that is realistic. If you don’t need a permanent mounting location high on the roof, the equipment is easy to install/uninstall.
The Portability add-on is not available for US customers, but service for people in other markets, or US accounts that already had Portability enabled, is available.
The rectangular dish would be better for travel. It’s lighter and uses less power. The setup is also more simple because the router and power supply are one unit, rather than two units with the round dish.
If you don’t mind installing/uninstalling the dish when you travel, Portability is the best option because you’ll only have one bill. If you buy a separate Roam account and dish, you’ll pay Residential + Roam in the months when you are traveling. It’s worth the cost for some because usually the Residential dish is permanently installed, and not easily accessible.
If the availability map shows my address not available for residential, can I still use Starlink Roam in the same area and get connection?
Yes. Roam users will have slower speeds, and you won’t be able to convert the hardware to Residential when your pre-order is ready for a full Residential order.