Image: Starlink
SpaceX’s Starlink has broadened access to its more affordable Residential Lite plan, with a newly updated coverage map showing the $80-per-month tier now available across significantly more of the U.S. As reported by PCMag, the plan — which costs $40 less than the standard $120 Residential tier — now reaches most of Michigan, Ohio, and New York, along with major portions of Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia.
The expanded availability marks a notable shift. Until recently, Starlink avoided bringing Residential Lite to many parts of the Eastern U.S. due to network congestion. While some heavily overloaded zones still remain restricted, Residential Lite is now available across most of the U.S., significantly upping the number of customers who can either sign up for or downgrade to the cheaper plan if they’re looking to save money.
Image: PCMag
Residential Lite offers typical download speeds from 80 to 200 Mbps, with the latter being a hard cap. That’s slower than the standard 135 to 305 Mbps range SpaceX advertises for its regular Residential tier, which can occasionally reach 400 Mbps. Still, many households — especially those in rural areas switching from legacy satellite providers — may find those speeds more than sufficient. In eligible states, customers can also get a “free” Starlink dish rental with a new service line.
The update comes just days after SpaceX launched an even cheaper $40-per-month Residential 100Mbps plan for select areas with excess capacity, such as Omaha and Nebraska. That tier limits download rates to 100Mbps and isn’t designed for heavy users or multi-device households, but existing subscribers can switch if it’s available in their region. All of Starlink’s Residential plans include unlimited data.
This expansion also lands during one of the biggest weeks yet for Starlink’s aviation ambitions. Emirates — one of the world’s leading luxury carriers — and flydubai both signed deals to bring Starlink aboard their fleets, marking yet another major commercial adoption for the company’s low-latency satellite internet.
At the same time, competitor HughesNet is preparing to begin referring its own customers to Starlink as the legacy satellite operator faces mounting business challenges. With more households gaining access to cheaper Starlink tiers, the pressure on older geostationary providers is only growing.
With expanded availability, new ultra-low-cost plans, and high-profile airline partnerships, Starlink’s momentum shows no sign of slowing.
