Guide To Starlink Data Types And Data Caps

Starlink prioritizes the traffic on their network into four categories: Mobile, Standard, Priority, and Mobile Priority. Higher tier data types like Priority and Mobile Priority have better performance and more features, while the lowest tier provides basic features and the slowest speeds.

With all the recent Starlink branding changes, it can all get a bit confusing. This guide is intended to help you understand the four types of Starlink data, and which plans they are associated with. I will cover the details of each type of data, including performance, data caps, and features.

Data Type vs Service Plan

Technically, the data types are also the four available Starlink service plans. When you purchase a Starlink plan, your account dashboard will list your service as Mobile, Standard, Priority, or Mobile Priority.

On the Starlink website, the plans are displayed with more marketable names like Residential and Business. To understand the data types, you have to understand that they are also the core Starlink service plans. The Starlink plan names are interchangeable with the data types. For example, Residential is Standard. Business is Priority. Roam is Mobile.

To help visualize what I mean, take a look at the following infographic. It lists the four data types by order of network priority, with the highest priority data type listed first. A quick summary of each data type lists the compatible Starlink plans, and the recommended hardware.

Data Type Details

Next, I’ll cover the details of each data type. I will explain the features, network priority, and limitations.

Priority

Priority is the highest priority data type on the Starlink network. It is equal with Mobile Priority. The Priority data type works at fixed locations, it isn’t portable. Starlink recommends using the High Performance dish to take advantage of the higher performance capabilities.

When you order Business, the only Starlink service plan that uses Priority data, you choose how much Priority data you want each month. The options are 1TB, 2TB, and 6TB. Additional Priority data can be purchased by the GB. Once your allotment of Priority data is used up, you’ll have unlimited Standard data.

Priority data users have 24/7 enhanced customer support, in addition to some networking features like public IP’s and an expanded monitoring dashboard.

The Business plan, and the Priority data that it uses, is aimed at high-demand business use cases. Those that need the highest speeds and best support should consider using Priority data. Priority data can deliver speeds up to 220 mbps down, and 25 mbps up.

Mobile Priority

Mobile Priority joins Priority as the highest data tier. Both Mobile Priority and Priority have network traffic preference compared to Standard and Mobile data users. Mobile Priority is a mobile service that works around the globe, whether on land, or on the ocean.

The recommended hardware for Mobile Priority data is the Flat High Performance dish. That’s the only dish that can be used in-motion, which is one of the features of Mobile Priority data. The Starlink service plans that use Mobile Priority data are Mobility and Maritime. Mobile Priority plans can be paused/unpaused for seasonal use.

Pick between 50GB, 1TB, and 5TB of Mobile Priority data. After your data cap has been reached, you’ll get unlimited Mobile data while on land. If on the ocean, you won’t be able to connect to anything but Starlink.com unless you purchase additional Mobile Priority data.

Like with Priority data, Mobile Priority users will have access to priority 24/7 support. Also like Priority, it is aimed at high-demand use cases. Commercial vessels, remote rescue operations, etc. Speeds go up to 220 mbps down, and 25 mbps up.

Standard

The only type of data you can get with the Residential service plan is Standard data. Formerly known as Priority Access, Standard data on the Residential plan is unlimited, with no data cap. Standard data is behind Priority and Mobile Priority users when it comes to network prioritization.

Starlink recommends the Standard hardware for use with Standard data. Standard data is primarily for home internet use. It can only be used at a fixed location. Speeds range from 25-100 mbps down, and 5-10 mbps up.

Standard data is the most in-demand type, so there is a waitlist in some areas. You might not be able to sign up for a Residential plan using Standard data. Instead, you can pay a deposit and be on the waitlist.

Mobile

The last type of Starlink data is called Mobile. Mobile is portable, and is used primarily with the Roam plan. The Roam plan is marketed towards RV owners, van lifers, and campers.

Best Effort is the other Starlink plan that uses Mobile data. Best Effort is offered to select pre-order accounts on the Residential waitlist. Best Effort is unique in that it is for a fixed location, even though it uses Mobile data.

There are no data caps with any Mobile data plans. Roam and Best Effort users on Mobile data have the lowest network priority, meaning they will have the slowest speeds. Mobile users can expect speeds between 5-50 mbps down, and 2-10 mbps up.

Roam customers can pick between Regional Mobile and Global Mobile. Regional works anywhere within the customers continent, while Global offers coverage anywhere on land throughout the world. Mobile plans can be paused/unpaused for seasonal use.

What Happens If I Hit The Data Cap?

If you are using Priority or Mobile Priority data, you have a data cap depending on which data level you purchased. Depending on where you are in the world, here is what happens after you hit the cap:

Priority Users: Priority users will be downgraded to Standard data after they hit their data cap. They will have access to unlimited Standard data. Additional Priority data can be purchased by the GB to avoid switching to Standard data.

Mobile Priority Users: Mobile Priority users who hit the data cap will be downgraded to unlimited Mobile data if they are on land. If they are on the ocean, no data will be available at all after the cap, with the exception of access to Starlink.com to purchase additional Mobile Priority data.