SpaceX is making some big changes to its residential subscription services, affecting all regions, including Canada.
First, the company has quietly added a new monthly kit fee for all residential customers who do not own their own Starlink kit. This $10 fee means the end to its free rental program for Starlink Residential customers. According to PC Mag, this fee is applicable in Canada, the U.S., U.K., France, Australia, and Mexico.
Now, on the surface, this $10 fee isn’t the end of the world, but when you look at the overall cost relative to simply buying the standard dish, the math starts to show why renting might not be the best option, although the prospects are better for Canadians than our U.S. counterparts.
The standard retail price of the standard dish is $499 in Canada or $349 in the US. With the fee being $10 in both countries, that means that if you plan to keep Starlink service for more than 4 years in Canada or 3 years in the U.S., it will be more economical to pay the upfront cost than to rent. This is especially true if you can get the standard dish on sale, which has happened frequently over the years.
The second major change is that Starlink has discontinued two Residential Max plan perks that were launched in January. First is the free rental of a Starlink Mini dish, designed to keep you connected while travelling. Secondly, Starlink also ended the 50% discount on the Roam tier plans.
With the price increases in May and now the new rental fee, new customers could be paying up to $20 more per month than they would have in April for the exact same service and kit.
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