Original article ISPreview UK:Read More
SpaceX’s Starlink service, which sells ultrafast broadband to the UK and globally via masses of compact satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), has done what some might consider a bit of a ‘bait-and-switch’ by suddenly replacing their ‘Pause Mode‘ (i.e. allowing you to stop and restart the service at no extra cost) with a new ‘Standby Mode‘ that costs £4.50 per month.
The Starlink service currently has around 8,100 satellites in orbit (c.4,500 are v2 / V2 Mini) – mostly at altitudes of c.500-600km – and they’ll add thousands more by the end of 2027. Residential customers in the UK usually pay from £75 a month ($120 in the USA), plus £299 for hardware (currently free for most areas) on the ‘Standard’ unlimited data plan (kit price may vary due to different offers), which promises UK latency times of 28-36ms, downloads of 103-258Mbps and uploads of 15-26Mbps. Cheaper and more restrictive options also exist for roaming users.
One of the most useful features on this service was Pause Mode, which until now had allowed customers to stop the service (inc. monthly payments) anytime they wanted and then restart it once needed again (handy when using Starlink as a backup or for periodic roaming / travel etc.). But customers on their Roam, Residential and Priority plans in the UK (inc. some other countries) have now been informed of an “upgrade” that sees Pause Mode being replaced by Standby Mode.
In Standby Mode customers will remain connected to the service at a significantly reduced speed (seemingly 0.5Mbps) for unlimited data, albeit now at a cost of £4.50 per month. The move will no doubt annoy some people and the modern internet is extremely difficult to use at such a connection speed, although some people may find it useful for getting basic tasks done (it could also be seen as a really cheap backup plan). But all the same, it would have worked better as an extra option, rather than an enforced replacement. Credits to forum member Stewart for the screenshot below.
However, while Pause Mode might have just been unceremoniously jettisoned in the name of more £££ for SpaceX and Elon, it’s worth noting that there is still a way to get a similar benefit. The FAQ page states: “If pausing with Standby Mode does not meet your needs, you are able to cancel at no cost and restart service on an available plan whenever you’re ready.” The catch is that this approach does come with some added checks (friction), but that may be worth it to avoid the £4.50 monthly charge for a service you’re not using.