Starlink Business Plan Explained: Pros and Cons

Starlink's website does a bad job of explaining its Business plan to interested consumers.

All information available is either surface level or hidden within the depths of Starlink's website which is available only after you register with them.

As a Starlink user, I figured it would only be just for me to write this one-stop article on all you need to know about Starlink Business.

Here are a few pros and cons of Starlink Business:

Pros	Cons
Access to Static IP/publicly routable DHCP	Expensive
Faster speeds compared to competitors	Deprioritized data
Allows VPN connectivity
24x7 prioritized customer service

Starlink Business is a satellite internet plan for business owners and enterprise applications that require satellite internet connectivity to deliver internet to multiple connected devices at once. The unique selling point of the Starlink Business plan is fast internet speeds, 24x7 priority support, and access to publicly routable DHCP connectivity.

What is Starlink Business? Guide

Starlink Business, as the name suggests is Starlink's internet plan solely intended for business owners and other enterprise-related applications.

Since businesses typically manage a whole bevy of users under one roof, getting a regular or Starlink Residential connection can prove to be detrimental.

With Starlink Business, you get access to select admin-grade features that are not readily available for Starlink Residential customers, while improving upon the experience.

This includes features such as Static IP (or Publicly Routable DHCP) which plays a vital role in any business network with multiple device connections.

This helps in enabling key features such as setting up a VPN connection.

Just like any other Starlink plan, Starlink Business has support for all basic functions including VoIP calls.

Starlink also offers 24x7 priority support for Starlink Business customers, as expected from any enterprise-oriented internet service solution.

Speeds and Latency: Starlink Business vs Starlink Residential

Given below is a brief rundown of the speeds, latency, and overall performance you can expect out of a Starlink Business connection, compared to Starlink Residential:

	Starlink Business	Starlink Residential
Rated download speeds	100-350 Mbps	50-200 Mbps
Tested download speeds	60-480 Mbps	55-250 Mbps
Rated upload speeds	10-25 Mbps	10-20 Mbps
Tested upload speeds	8-20 Mbps	5-20 Mbps
Rated latency	20-40 ms	20-40 ms
Tested latency	19-52 ms	20-100 ms
Data cap	1 TB Deprioritized data after the cap	500 GB/1 TB/3TB according to the service plan Deprioritized data after the cap

Thanks to the high-performance dish, Starlink Business surpasses the already excellent Starlink Residential performance by a good margin.

Excluding the near similar upload speeds, Starlink Business has a much better performance compared to Starlink Residential.

The download speeds even exceeded the rated speeds Starlink has put up on their website, which is very surprising, considering other brands that typically post higher and deliver less.

Competing services such as Viasat and Hughesnet provide much slower speeds.

Costs: Starlink Business vs Starlink Residential

Here is a brief rundown on the expenses and costs you can expect out of a Starlink Business connection, and a comparison of the same with its Residential counterpart:

	Starlink Business	Starlink Residential
Hardware fee (one time)	$2,500	$599
Subscription fee (monthly)	$500	$90 (high density areas) or $120
Priority data charges after exceeding the data cap	$1 for every GB of data	$0.25 for every GB of data

It is obvious that Starlink Business is bound to cost more than a typical Starlink Residential plan.

But the value proposition, considering long-term use, is seriously good when it comes to Starlink Business.

For one, the hardware is a one-time purchase and not a recurring fee like on other competing satellite internet services.

The monthly fee is also justified considering the stable internet speeds connected devices can expect.

But Starlink has implemented a soft data cap unfortunately, that will allow you to use a preset amount of data per month.

If you exhaust your limit, then you will have to shell out $1 for every GB of data consumed.

Starlink Business Kit: What you get

The Starlink Business Kit comes with the following components that help you through your self-installation process:

Starlink High-Performance Dish

The Starlink High-Performance Dish is an improved version of the regular Starlink Rectangular dish provided for Starlink Residential customers.

The following are the core specifications of the Starlink High-Performance Dish:

Dish face dimensions	20.1" x 22.6" ( 51.1cm x 57.5 cm)
Height of dish when laid flat	15" (38 cm)
Height of dish when erect	24.1" (61.3 cm)
Weight of dish with Starlink cable	21 lbs (9.4 kg)
Weight of dish without Starlink cable	15 lbs (6.9 kg)
Field of view	140°
Antenna used	Electronic Phased Array antennas
Rated operating temperatures	-22°F to 122°F (-30°C to 50°C)
Rated operating wind speed conditions	50 mph+ (80 kmph+)
Rated snow-melting capabilities	3" (7.5cm) per hour
Environmental resistance rating	IP56 Protected against harmful dust and strong water jets from all directions
Orientation	Self-orientation using motors
Power consumption	110-150W
Ethernet support	Available, using RJ45
WiFi support	Dual Band WiFi 5 3x3 MIMO

The dish is much larger physically and allows for much better performance and speeds compared to the regular dish thanks to its Electronically Phased Array antennas.

This is thanks to the dish's capability to connect to more Starlink satellite constellations.

Its resistance to weather conditions is also drastically improved, thanks to the overall durable design.

The Base for the Starlink High-Performance Dish

This acts as the stand for the Starlink High-Performance Dish, with specifications as follows:

Dimensions of the face of Base	22" x 22" (56cm x56 cm)
Height of legs of Base	4.8" (12.2 cm)

Power Supply

This powers the Starlink Dish for operation, and is rated with the following specifications:

Dimensions of the power supply unit	11.3" x 5.2" x 1.8" (28.8 cm x 13.3 cm x 4.6 cm)
Weight of power supply unit	3 lbs (1.5 kg)
Power specifications	100-240V 50-60 Hz 4.5A
Grounding capabilities	A dedicated earth terminal is available

Starlink Router

Starlink currently utilizes the UTR 211 routers for transmitting internet to connected devices for all their plans, including Starlink Business.

It is a very capable router, with the following specifications:

Dimensions of Starlink router unit	10" x 7.1" x 2.5" (25.4 cm x 18 cm x 6.5 cm)
Weight of Starlink router unit	2.2 lbs (1 kg)
Rated operating temperatures	-22°F to 122°F (-30°C to 50°C)
WiFi Standard generation	WiFi 5
WiFi Technology utilized	802.11ac
Dual-band radio availability	Yes 3x3 MIMO
Mesh compatibility	Upto 12 Starlink nodes
Devices compatibility	Upto 128 devices
Security	WPA2
Maximum coverage	2000 ft (185 m²)

Cables for Connectivity

The cables included in the Starlink Business kit are as follows:

	Dimensions
Starlink cable	82 ft (25 m) in length
Ethernet cable	16.5 ft (5 m) in length
Router cable	6.5 ft (2 m) in length
AC cable for power supply	6 ft (1.8 m) in length
AC cable for router	6 ft (1.8 m) in length

Final Thoughts

If you wish to get a Starlink Business connection, or just have more queries regarding the same, you can contact Starlink support for more information.

I hope my article on Starlink Business has been informative and a worthwhile read.

Have a good day!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can businesses use Starlink Residential?

Starlink Residential is meant for home users only and is not available for businesses.

Can Starlink Business Dish be installed indoors?

Starlink dishes can be set up indoors but it is recommended to set them outdoors.

Starlink dishes, including the high-performance Starlink dish for Starlink Business users, require the Starlink dish to be in direct line of sight with clear skies to communicate with Starlink constellations above

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