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| A Starlink standard dish on a lawn. |
If you were hoping to snag SpaceX's most affordable Starlink plan for your home, you might have missed the brief window. Last month, the satellite internet provider quietly launched a new $40 per month Residential 100Mbps plan in select US markets, only to pull it from its website and app just weeks later, leaving potential and existing customers confused.
The plan, which capped download speeds at a still-respectable 100Mbps, was a standout offering in Starlink’s portfolio for its price alone. Compared to the standard $120 per month Residential plan, it presented a tempting entry point for users in rural or underserved areas who didn’t need ultra-high speeds.
So, what happened? The disappearance was first flagged by sharp-eyed users on community forums. As noted in a Reddit thread on the Starlink subreddit, subscribers began reporting that the option to select or revert to the $40 tier was gone. One user shared a common frustration, stating, "I upgraded because I was having a lot of family over for Thanksgiving and am now not able to go back to the 40 dollar a month option."
Our own checks confirmed the plan is no longer offered to new users in parts of Nebraska, Illinois, and Nevada where it had briefly appeared. It seems the offering was never intended for a wide rollout. Industry watchers speculate it was a targeted test in areas with excess network capacity, a way to fill unused bandwidth with a lower-tiered service.
The theory gaining traction is that the plan was perhaps too popular. A rush of new sign-ups and existing customers downgrading to the budget option may have quickly absorbed that excess capacity, leading Starlink to remove it to preserve network performance for higher-tier users.
For now, US customers are left with two main residential options:
- Starlink Residential: The standard service at $120/month, advertising download speeds over 400Mbps.
- Starlink Residential Lite: A mid-tier option available for $80 per month in most suburban and rural US areas, with advertised download speeds up to 250Mbps.
Interestingly, the $40 Residential 100Mbps plan is still listed as available for users in Australia and Canada. Furthermore, Starlink’s official customer support portal still references the plan, suggesting its removal might be a temporary or regional capacity decision rather than a permanent product retirement.
If you had your sights set on the budget plan, it’s worth keeping an eye on Starlink’s official website. As network capacity grows with more satellite launches, this affordable tier could make a return. For the latest official information, you can always check Starlink's support articles directly.