New limitations on Starlink coastal?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

DDW

Guru
Joined
Apr 26, 2018
Messages
3,253
Location
USA
New verbiage has appeared in the FAQs for the Roam and Unlimited Roam plans. The just changed this recently to allow only 60 days of use at a time in foreign countries. Now they have added a limitation for coastal use - 5 consecutive and 60 days total per year. "Coastal" used to be vague enough that many areas (the Ditch, Inside Passage) were not considered coastal. They have also updated their coverage map to identify most of these areas as water. According the Youtube pundits, Starlink reps have been inconsistent, some saying that a marina for example is close enough to land, others saying if it shows up as water on their coverage map, that is coastal.

This has been the problem with Starlink from the beginning, plans change almost hourly, you have no idea when you buy the dish what you are going to be paying beyond the end of the month. I have the $50/m roam plan, it is plenty for what I do (weather and occasional browsing). Strictly read, the new rules will force me to the $250/m plan on a trip up the inland passage to Alaska.
 
Your link leads to the availability map, not the coverage map.

Definitions with Starlink are difficult. As of today, I know no one who has lost coverage while boating the inside passage. Not saying it couldn’t happened. I do know that revenue is important to Starlink, if they start cutting all the cruisers off who can substitute cell coverage guess what will happen.
 
THIS link was what Starlink availability map used to look like showing the octagons of service. Probably copied and the satilites added because availability areas do not show an octagon. We may never hear of anyone within 12 miles losing signal unless they travel putside the octagones for more than 5 days at a time or more than 60 days in a year.
Marketing is trying hard to get you boaters to buy the marine plan.
 
Your link leads to the availability map, not the coverage map.

Definitions with Starlink are difficult. As of today, I know no one who has lost coverage while boating the inside passage. Not saying it couldn’t happened. I do know that revenue is important to Starlink, if they start cutting all the cruisers off who can substitute cell coverage guess what will happen.
Supposedly, the changes will take place with the 10/10 plan change, but may not be enforced until there is an app update which will tell you where you are. They delayed some other changes until early next year for this reason. The availability map suggests that it is not available in the inside passage. I just returned last week from up there, no issues - but that was before the change was announced.
 
I found this on the Starlink website

"Coastal coverage (up to 12 nautical miles off the coast) in territorial waters where Starlink provides active coverage around the world for up to 5 consecutive days at a time and a total of 60 days over the course of a year"

If they mean "territorial waters" at least in the US it is usually well defined on nautical charts. Plus if you bump outside here and there occasionally. you have the 5/60 day limits.
 
Is anyone planning to use Starlink in the Bahamas this year? We head down from Connecticut in two weeks. Not worried about coverage down the ICW but beginning to have concerns about the Bahamas.
Thanks,

Rob
 
Rob, we plan on being in the Bahamas in January, with SL, not this year, but less than 90 days away.
 
Scott, would love to meet you both! After Thanksgiving with Diane's family in Florida we will cross in the first good weather window. Our plan is to base out of Hopetown.
Rob
 
Rob, where in Florida are you spending Thanksgiving? Our trip timing is being driven by house renovation, and a scheduled trip Laura has to Egypt in mid to late December. We're center of the state, just off of the Caloosahatchee Canal. If you're headed that way, we'll probably have room on the dock for you for a few nights!
Tentatively figuring on Dry Tortugas early November, then Thanksgiving here at home, then Bahamas in January.
We're newbies to the Bahamas, so wouldn't mind buddy boating, or "same day, same way" with another boat
 

Attachments

  • Ardoch 2.jpg
    Ardoch 2.jpg
    208.2 KB · Views: 0
Back
Top Bottom