The option to receive your internet from outer space is exciting, without a doubt.
The big one is data caps.
Why Is Starlink Introducing a Data Cap?
Image Credit: Mike Mareen/Shutterstock
While bandwidth concerns are genuine for ISPs, the issue is magnified for satellite internet providers like Starlink.
What Is Starlink’s Data Cap?
During those hours, any data used contributes toward the 1TB data cap.
Image Credit:Starlink
Anything outside those hours doesn’tfairly standard stuff for a data cap from any ISP.
How Will Starlink’s Data Cap Work?
When the Starlink data cap rolls out, each user will start the month with “Priority Access.”
Once you exhaust your 1TB of Priority Access data, your account switches to “Basic Access.”
In data pipe terms, Priority Access data is given precedence over Basic Access data.
There is no indication that Starlink will actively throttle Basic Access users.
Basic Access users also have unlimited data usage.
Starlink does acknowledge that the difference could result in performance issues for certain online activities, though.
Bandwidth intensive applications, such as streaming videos, are most likely to be impacted.
It all comes down to how many other Starlink users are in your geographical cell.
Note that you cannot see how many other Starlink users are in the same area as you.
You may opt-out of purchasing additional Priority Access at any time in the Starlink Customer Portal.
How Likely Are You to Exceed the 1TB Starlink Data Cap?
Data caps aren’t great for anyone.
Similarly, watching HD content on Netflix will use around 3GB of data per hour.
But if you decide to watch 4K content, you’ll burn through about 7GB of data per hour.
For some users, 1TB will be more than enough.
