Starlink Roam

[chubby]

the RV plan will now be re-branded as "roam"... and they (will) start enforcing the geofencing on where it can be used.


//should continue to work anchoring...
//i would not expect it to continue working crossing oceans (but i'd love to be wrong)


just an fyi...




https://www.pcmag.com/news/starlink-...ss-for-200-per

[ol1970]

$200/month is still a bargain. This was inevitable, so glad to see the future is starting to take shape and yes, hopefully it will still work on ocean crossings. I'd be surprised if it didn't. Hell even if there was some sort of extra fee that would be totally fine.

[nuru05]

Originally Posted by ol1970

$200/month is still a bargain. This was inevitable, so glad to see the future is starting to take shape and yes, hopefully it will still work on ocean crossings. I'd be surprised if it didn't. Hell even if there was some sort of extra fee that would be totally fine.

Agreed, I have no issue paying $200/month and am perfectly happy with 5-50mgbts. I'd like to see what the latency is though because I'd be disappointed if I had to stop playing halo while we cruise. I also wonder if this means we will have offshore coverage

[bergius]

Originally Posted by ol1970

$200/month is still a bargain. This was inevitable, so glad to see the future is starting to take shape and yes, hopefully it will still work on ocean crossings. I'd be surprised if it didn't. Hell even if there was some sort of extra fee that would be totally fine.

At least for me their FAQ states:

Starlink Roam is available for land use within your continent (Regional plan) or across the globe (Global plan).

Now that they specifically mention “land use” I wouldn’t rely on Starlink Roam being available for boats much longer.

I briefly looked at Starlink as an option this month, as our Europe-wide LTE roaming plan became unavailable. However, the constantly shifting terms make me reluctant to invest into something so expensive. And of course the power consumption problem is still there as well.

[nuru05]

Originally Posted by bergius

At least for me their FAQ states:

Starlink Roam is available for land use within your continent (Regional plan) or across the globe (Global plan).

Now that they specifically mention “land use” I wouldn’t rely on Starlink Roam being available for boats much longer.

I briefly looked at Starlink as an option this month, as our Europe-wide LTE roaming plan became unavailable. However, the constantly shifting terms make me reluctant to invest into something so expensive. And of course the power consumption problem is still there as well.

I would imagine that it will be available for at least a few miles from, just maybe not offshore. Which honestly would work just fine for most of us, even cruisers.

[Alistair242]

The Starlink website states that Roam is for land use only and that there will be geo fencing in place to stop use outside of designated areas. I guess they are trying to protect their marine product?

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by Alistair242

The Starlink website states that Roam is for land use only and that there will be geo fencing in place to stop use outside of designated areas. I guess they are trying to protect their marine product?

Their marine product is priced in a way that only folks with deep pockets can afford it.

RV was good for the usual mortal beings and liveaboards.

[wholybee]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Their marine product is priced in a way that only folks with deep pockets can afford it.

RV was good for the usual mortal beings and liveaboards.

Yes, but people with deep pockets are currently buying the RV plan.
The real question is if they will also block the small rectangular dish from in motion use, or from use on the high seas. I think that is inevitable also, just as this move was.

[sailorboy1]

All this is just "talk"

Posted underway in Bahamas off Long Island

[rsvmille]

Starlink maritime utilizes a different architecture.

For a land-based system, range is limited to about 500 miles from a ground station.

[Drunkonwatch]

I hope this is all CF bull. Elon’s ego wants to see them everywhere wouldn’t jump to conclusions about it.

[sailingharry]

I have been watching starlink with interest. Don't have it, don't know when I will, but it sure would have been nice last year in the St Lawrence and the south coast of Newfoundland! So I have been following it with mild interest.

Seems to me that there are two ways to geofence. One is simply hardware limitations, the way XM / Sirius geofence their service to North america. You just can't get the signal way offshore. If starlink simply limits the service to those areas that are served by a terrestrial station, the vast majority of cruisers will find it just dandy. Just don't allow connection on a relay station, super simple.

The far more rigorous, but slightly more technically challenging, would be to draw a bright red line 100 yards off the coast all the way around North America. Then plot your GPS coordinates and if you are outside that line, present an error code.

The second would be a letter of the contract implementation. But unless there are compelling reasons for him to do it, I suspect that he will go with the former. Sort of a position of "If it works, good for you - if it doesn't, upgrade your service."

[steffan]

Originally Posted by sailingharry

The far more rigorous, but slightly more technically challenging, would be to draw a bright red line 100 yards off the coast all the way around North America. Then plot your GPS coordinates and if you are outside that line, present an error code.

I think it's more likely they'll use the H3 cells they use to define availability as the geofence. They already have those well-defined and the unit already knows what cell it's in.

[cofc]

Originally Posted by steffan

I think it's more likely they'll use the H3 cells they use to define availability as the geofence. They already have those well-defined and the unit already knows what cell it's in.

This is what I've always heard, and I understand that it should easily be able to do this. However, no matter where we have our Starlink, it always thinks it's in Atlanta. Or at least that is how it appears to me.

[jordanbigel]

Originally Posted by steffan

I think it's more likely they'll use the H3 cells they use to define availability as the geofence. They already have those well-defined and the unit already knows what cell it's in.

I had to google what H3 cells are - they appear to be StarLink defined hexagonal shaped regions which they've mapped the globe with. If they geo-blocked only dishes which are in one of the cells that are completely over water that would leave a lot of room for cruisers to operate SL in the near shore regions and at anchor.

But can't they pinpoint any dish's position to the accuracy of a GPS, down to the street (or bay)? Couldn't they literally block anyone who is over water?