Starlink, the satellite internet service from Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, has been operational for nearly two years now. Demand for the service continues to exceed the capacity that the satellite dish constellation can handle.
Many people trying to get Starlink will end up on the dreaded waitlist. The Starlink waitlist is where all the pre-order customers have to wait until capacity is expanded in the area they live. If you have an address that isn’t available yet, you can put down a $99 deposit to reserve a spot in line.
Orders are filled on a first come, first served basis. However, capacity is determined in very small service areas called cells. It’s completely possible for a house a mile down the road to get their order before you, even if you’ve been waiting longer.
In this article, we will explore how long the waitlist is for Starlink. We will also show you how to estimate how long you will wait. Finally, we’ll explain how it might be possible for you to skip the wait entirely.
Table of Contents
How many people are on the Starlink waitlist?
Globally, Starlink serves over 400,000 customers as of May 2022. That’s nearly double the amount of subscribers from just two months earlier in February 2022. What that exact subscriber count is today is not known, but it’s safe to say Starlink is well on its way to having a million subscribers at that pace.
As for how many people are on the Starlink waitlist, that number isn’t available. We can make an educated guess that it’s probably many times the amount of current customers. Back when Starlink first opened up orders for the public beta in early 2021, they quickly received over 500,000 orders.
How long is the wait for Starlink?
If you’ve checked for Starlink availability and aren’t able to place a full order, how long will you wait for Starlink? Thankfully, Starlink provides an ETA. Anyone can check how long the wait is for their area, regardless of whether they put in a pre-order.
How to check for order availability
To check how long you might be waiting to get your dish, first head over to the Starlink map tool on the Starlink website. Enter your address into the search box.
The map should zoom in to show you a closer view of your area. You can also just zoom in to any area on the map, without using the search box.
You’ll notice a few different color shades on the map. The map legend reveals that the lighter shade of blue is available now, while the slightly darker blue is a waitlisted area.
How to check Starlink wait times
If you tap or hover over an area that is on the waitlist, an estimated expansion date is displayed.
The estimated expansion date shown on the Starlink availability map is a very conservative estimate. If you pre-order, your account dashboard will provide a more accurate estimate. For example, the image above estimates “Expanding in 2023”, but your pre-order account may assign you a specific quarter or month in 2023.
See also: How To Find Out If Starlink Is Available In Your Area
Can you skip the Starlink waitlist?
If you are stuck waiting on Starlink to expand in your area, there are a couple ways to skip waiting and get Starlink right now.
Starlink RV
Starlink RV can be ordered by virtually anyone, with no waitlist. The RV service works anywhere with active Starlink coverage, which includes waitlisted areas.
What’s the catch? For starters, Starlink RV costs $135/month, which is $25 more than the normal Residential service. Also, RV users are deprioritized on the network. In times of heavy use and congestion, RV users will see their performance degrade well before Residential users.
Used Starlink
The second way to skip the waitlist is to buy a used Starlink kit. Sellers are able to transfer their dish to buyers by contacting Starlink. Many buyers are reporting that Starlink is able to transfer service to their address, even though it shows as waitlisted. This isn’t 100% guaranteed, but it may be worth a shot if you would rather have Residential over RV.
To see how the process works, check out our guide on How To Buy, Sell, And Transfer A Used Starlink.
For full details, see How To Skip The Starlink Waitlist.
Conclusion
How long you will wait on the Starlink waitlist depends on the capacity of the cell in which you live. Some customers wait weeks, others wait months. You can check to see if your address is waitlisted by using the Starlink availability map. The map also gives you an estimated wait time.
If you would like a more accurate estimated wait time, pre-order Starlink and then check your account dashboard. Starlink will assign you a quarter or month when your order date is close.
And if you can’t wait, there are a couple of options to skip the waitlist completely. Starlink RV is one way to completely avoid waiting for Starlink.
I purchase starlink in one location and then moved. I updated my address but am in an area waitlisted. How do I know I have joined the waitlist que at the new location?
As long as your address is correct in your Starlink account on the website, you’re good to go. It should provide you an ETA as well. That may be the same date as it was before.
Filled out the form for Starlink nearly 2 years ago. have not heard a peep from the company since. It honestly looks like they are only pushing it out to social influencers and rural projects they can use as promotion. Not impressed, already souring it for the majority of us who jumped on the list as soon as it was available.. they are definitely not going in order, rather hand-picking who they want to serve.