Starlink Availability & Coverage Guide 2026

Unlike traditional geostationary satellites that sit 35,000km above one fixed point on Earth, Starlink's satellites orbit at approximately 550km altitude in a constantly moving constellation. This means coverage in any given location comes from whichever satellites are passing overhead at that moment. As SpaceX adds more satellites, coverage density increases and speeds improve.

Coverage requires a clear view of the sky — specifically a cone of about 100 degrees looking toward the sky. Trees, buildings, or terrain that blocks this view will cause "obstructions" — brief signal interruptions. SpaceX provides a free smartphone app (Starlink App) that uses your phone's camera to scan your sky and identify potential obstruction issues before you order hardware.

Polar regions were among the first to get Starlink service because the orbital geometry of low-inclination satellites means better coverage at high latitudes than geostationary satellites provide. Alaska, Norway, Canada's far north, and Antarctica research stations have all benefited from this.

Starlink Standard ($120/month in the US) is designed for single-family homes with one to three concurrent users. It provides enough bandwidth for video streaming, video calls, and basic gaming. This is the most common plan for rural home use.

Starlink Priority ($250/month) allocates prioritized bandwidth, meaning during congested periods your speeds are deprioritized less than Standard users. It targets power users, remote workers, and small businesses that need more reliable performance during peak hours.

Starlink Mobile ($150/month) is designed for vehicles. You can pause and resume the subscription monthly. The dish mounts on RVs, trailers, or trucks. Global roaming is available as an add-on, allowing use across any covered country.

Starlink Maritime ($5,000/month) provides high-performance, high-availability service on boats and ships. It uses specialized hardware designed for marine environments and is used by fishing vessels, yachts, cruise ships, and commercial freighters replacing expensive VSAT systems.

Starlink Aviation is sold through airline partnerships rather than direct to consumers. It provides in-flight Wi-Fi with speeds that support multiple passengers streaming simultaneously — a substantial upgrade over older Gogo or Viasat systems.

Starlink installation is designed to be a DIY process. The rectangular Gen 2/3 dish comes in a kit with a stand, router, and 75-foot cable. Setup typically takes 30-60 minutes. The dish finds its optimal pointing angle automatically — you simply need to ensure it has a clear sky view and connect it to power.

For homes, most customers mount the dish on a roof, a wall, or a ground pole. SpaceX sells mounting adapters for various surfaces. The cable runs from the dish through a wall penetration (using the included feed-through bushing or a conduit) to the router inside.

After hardware setup, the Starlink app guides configuration. Most users are connected to the internet within 20-30 minutes of power-up, after the dish performs its initial satellite search and firmware update.