Starlink charges $10 monthly hardware fee in move away from one-time purchases

Starlink has started charging a $10 monthly rental fee for hardware in a shift away from its longtime practice of selling hardware to customers for a one-time charge. Starlink residential ordering pages now show an upfront hardware cost of $0 and a monthly kit fee of $10, similar to the hardware rental fees long charged by cable and telecommunications companies. Starlink hardware includes a terminal to receive satellite signals and a router to place in a user’s home. The monthly kit fee is in addition to Internet service prices, which Starlink recently raised by $5 to $10 per month. Starlink is charging $55 a month for 100Mbps, $85 for 200Mbps, and $130 for the “Max” tier that can go up to 400Mbps. Starlink also provides a professional installation service for a one-time fee of $199, or for no additional charge if you subscribe to the Max plan. A Starlink support article said hardware rental is now “in select countries” and that “Starlink kits may only be rented for Residential service plans.” Customers who rent Starlink hardware instead of owning it will not be allowed to pause their service.