SpaceX is preparing to launch a new Starlink plan called “Starlink Community.” Based on what we know so far, the plan allows multiple users to connect to one Starlink dish, each with their own account. The Starlink Community program could reduce monthly service fees to about $60 each month—lower than the Residential Lite plan’s $80 per month or the standard Residential option’s $120 per month.
Our colleagues at PCMag first identified the new program through a support page on Starlink’s website. Though the page has since been removed, PCMag reports that Starlink Community is meant for apartment dwellers or communities lacking easy access to fiber or cable broadband. Under this model, a host (such as a landlord or property manager) installs and maintains the site’s equipment, which includes a Starlink kit and a network switch. The host then manages the onboarding of new subscribers, each connecting their own Wi-Fi router to the shared system.
Starlink is also adding a “Community Hotspot” option, PCMag notes, which gives short-term connectivity for single devices. Support pages do not currently offer further details.
SpaceX has yet to confirm a launch date for Starlink Community or provide more details about speed and bandwidth management in shared setups. But either way, this means that Starlink could soon reach more people in underserved regions where cost and infrastructure have been barriers to access. It also makes the service more affordable.