Telecompetitor reports…

Starlink has added a $100 “congestion charge” to certain new subscribers of their Residential Services.

The one-time fee applies to new service plans within areas of “network congestion.” The Support section of the Starlink website provides details of the new charge.

“In areas with network congestion, there is an additional one-time charge to purchase Starlink Residential services. This fee will only apply if you are purchasing or activating a new service plan. If you change your Service address or Service Plan at a later date, you may be charged the congestion fee,” the post reads.

PCMag.com first reported the Starlink news last week, writing that the charge seems to be occurring to customers in several states including “Texas, Florida, Kansas, Ohio and Virginia, among others, which have slower Starlink speeds due to the limited network capacity.” The post also referenced a 2022 article on PCMag.com, which claimed that Starlink’s massive growth had resulted in congestion and slow speeds for some users.

The caveats of the new congestion charge are further clarified on Starlink’s website: “Our intention is to no longer charge this fee to new customers as soon as network capacity improves. If you’re not satisfied with Starlink and return it within the 30-day return window, the charge will be refunded.”