Starlink is a satellite internet provider that operates a constellation of satellites hovering in low-Earth orbit (at an altitude of approximately 342 miles). The service offers local and global priority plans for regular home living, boats, and RVs and other #vanlife modes of transportation. (There's even a service for hikers and other out-of-the-way travelers: Starlink Mini.)

As is the case with all satellite internet services, Starlink’s prices skew much higher than what you’d pay for a standard residential broadband internet plan. But satellite internet is a worthy pick if you can’t get internet any other way.

Starlink’s residential service has no data cap, monthly overage fees, cancellation fees, or contracts, and installation runs $199 for the 100/200 Mbps plans (free for Residential MAX). Rather than a lump-sum hardware purchase, Residential customers now pay a $10/mo. equipment rental fee. Roam customers still buy their hardware outright, with prices for antenna-and-router kits starting at $349 (you pay an extra $100 in "high-capacity" areas). And you pay a $130 monthly price for up to 400Mbps download speed, which is a high price even for satellite internet. So even with the freebies, it’s pricey.

Meanwhile, Starlink’s mobile services cost even more but are slower. You can buy priority data to speed things up—but that’s extra. (Data is fifty cents per GB for Standard and $2 per GB for Mobile.)

Starlink isn’t a great deal compared to non-satellite internet options—though compared to other satellite options, it leads the pack. In any case, Starlink’s flexibility (you can take it on the road!) is appealing, especially for travel influencers, digital nomads, and anyone else who’s unsure if the brick-and-mortar life is for them.