Starlink Slashes Unlimited Data, Forcing West Virginians Into Price Hikes Over $200/Month

In a shocking move, Starlink is set to eliminate unlimited data for many customers, replacing it with block-based plans that will force major cost increases for those who rely on streaming services. While some customers may initially see lower monthly fees, those using more than 50GB of data per month—such as anyone with Netflix, YouTube, or other streaming subscriptions—will face drastic price hikes of over $140 per month, reaching $250 or more for basic internet access.

Unlimited Data is Gone

Currently, Starlink’s residential plans allow users to stream and browse the web with unlimited data, but this is set to end within 30 days. Under the new pricing structure, customers on plans like Priority 40GB will be forced onto a 50GB data block plan for $65 per month—a price cut from the previous $140. However, with the average streaming household consuming nearly 1TB of data per month, the real cost of maintaining current service levels will skyrocket.

• A customer currently paying $140 per month for unlimited data will now need to pay $250 or more per month to maintain the same level of access.
• If customers do not opt into the higher-cost plans, Starlink will throttle their speeds to just 1 Mbps download and 0.5 Mbps upload—down from speeds exceeding 100 Mbps today.

Streaming Services Now a Luxury

This change effectively means that many West Virginians and rural users will have to choose between paying more than $200 per month for internet or giving up streaming services entirely. Those who cannot afford the price increase may be forced to return to satellite television, which many had already disconnected in favor of online streaming due to its high cost and limited programming.

For rural residents who rely on Starlink as their only broadband option, this decision could be financially devastating. Many users originally switched to Starlink because traditional satellite and DSL providers could not offer high-speed or unlimited internet. Now, Starlink is stripping away its biggest advantage—affordable, high-speed, unlimited service.

Customers Face Tough Choices

This policy shift is expected to cause major backlash, as Starlink’s initial appeal was its affordable unlimited internet for rural America. With these new changes, many customers will need to either pay over $200 per month for basic service or lose access to high-speed internet altogether.

Starlink users now have just 30 days to prepare for the transition—a decision that could reshape internet access in West Virginia and beyond.