News
Starlink news for US referrers
Dated, sourced news that matters to people who share or use a US Starlink referral link: program changes first, plus plan, price, hardware, network and tax news when it changes what a referral is worth or who can use one. Each post says what changed, when, who it affects, what to do, and what we don’t know yet.
Starlink republishes its US referral terms (Oct 3, 2026)The Referral Program Terms were republished on Oct 3, 2026. What the current text asks of referrers, what we can and can’t compare, and what to do now.
Starship deploys the first 26 Starlink V3 satellites (Sep 28, 2026)SpaceX’s Starship reached orbit on its 14th flight and released 26 Starlink V3 satellites, per press reports. What it may and may not mean for US customers.
Ookla: 40% of US Starlink users hit 100/20 Mbps in early 2026Ookla’s US broadband report for the first half of 2026 says about 40% of Starlink Speedtest users met the FCC’s 100/20 Mbps benchmark, up from 18.9% a year earlier.
Starlink announces Router 4 with Wi-Fi 7 (Sep 9, 2026)Starlink said on Sep 9, 2026 that Router 4, its first Wi-Fi 7 router, will come to select areas soon. No price or ship date. What it means for new and current customers.
Starlink extends cash referral rewards beyond the US (Sep 4, 2026)Press reports say Starlink announced cash referral rewards in many countries on Sep 4, 2026. US rules don’t change, and cross-border referrals still don’t count.
Starlink offers a $185 Personal Maritime plan to some boat ownersStarlink emailed some boat owners a $185-a-month Personal Maritime plan in late August 2026, per press. Why it isn’t a referral-eligible plan on Starlink’s list.
Referred customers must now stay two months, up from one (Aug 2026)Press reports from late August 2026 say a referred customer must stay subscribed two months, not one, before the sender is paid. Starlink’s terms confirm the two cycles.
US Starlink referrers can now take cash (reported Aug 2026)Press reports from late August 2026 say US Starlink referrers can switch rewards from service credit to cash. What changed, what Starlink confirms, and how to opt in.
FCC report says Starlink has over 7 million US subscribers (Aug 2026)The FCC’s 2026 Section 706 broadband report credited Starlink with over 7 million American subscribers, far above SpaceX’s own 2025 figure. Press reports.
SpaceX reports Starlink passed 12 million subscribers (Q2 2026)SpaceX figures for Q2 2026 put Starlink above 12 million subscribers, up nearly 2 million in a quarter, despite price rises. A press report from one outlet.
Starlink drops its $10 kit rental fee in select US areas (Jul 2026)A month after adding a $10-a-month kit fee, Starlink offered free kit rental in select US areas with spare capacity, per a Jul 20, 2026 report. What a referral adds.
Starlink tightens Roam travel rules and ends Global Roam (Jul 2026)From Jul 14, 2026 for new customers and Aug 17 for existing ones, Roam Unlimited allows 30 days abroad, and the US and Canada count as one region, per press.
Starlink raises US Residential and Roam prices by $5–$10 (Jun 2026)Most US Starlink plans rose $5–$10 a month: new customers first, existing ones from Jun 18, 2026. The free month on a referral is now worth more on most plans.
Starlink moves new Residential kits to a $10 monthly rental (Jun 2026)Press reports on Jun 10, 2026 said new US Residential customers pay $0 upfront and $10 a month to rent the kit, instead of buying it. What it means for referrals.
SpaceX IPO filing puts Starlink at 10.3 million subscribersSpaceX’s S-1, filed in May 2026, reported 10.3 million Starlink subscribers as of Mar 31, 2026 and falling revenue per user. What it does and doesn’t mean for referrals.
Starlink ran $29-a-month promo pricing in some US areas (May 2026)In early May 2026 Starlink offered new customers in select US areas Residential plans from $29 a month for three months, per satelliteinternet.com.
US Starlink median download near 130 Mbps in Ookla data (Q1 2026)A May 2026 report citing Ookla Speedtest data put US Starlink’s median download at 128 Mbps in Q1 2026, up from 100 Mbps a year earlier. A press report from one outlet.
Starlink rewrote its referral help articles (last edited Apr 9, 2026)Both Starlink referral help articles now describe a different program from the 2023 version: a reward for the sender, the free month on bill two, more plans.
Starlink: Standby Mode no longer shields you from a demand surcharge (Apr 2026)Starlink’s help center now says Standby Mode doesn’t waive demand surcharges when you resume. What changed in April 2026, and why referrers should think before pausing.
Starlink says Standby Mode is not for in-motion use (Mar 2026)In March 2026 Starlink recategorized Standby Mode as a stationary option, per press reports; its help center now says so too. What it means for referrers.
Starlink offered Residential from $39 a month for six months (Mar 2026)Starlink offered new customers in many US areas a $39 Residential 100 Mbps plan for six months, through Mar 31, 2026, per Broadband Breakfast. Background for referrers.
Starlink renames US Residential plans by speed tier (Jan 2026)In January 2026 Starlink replaced Residential and Residential Lite with 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps and Max tiers, per press. All three are on the referral-eligible list.
FCC approves 7,500 more Starlink Gen2 satellites (Jan 9, 2026)On Jan 9, 2026 the FCC let SpaceX add 7,500 Gen2 satellites, for 15,000 in total, per Broadband Breakfast. Background on capacity; no change to plans or referrals.
IRS: Form 1099-K threshold returns to $20,000 and 200 paymentsThe IRS said on Oct 23, 2025 that, under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill, 1099-K reporting applies only above $20,000 and 200 transactions. What it means for referral cash.
Starlink’s 2.5-hour global outage on Jul 24, 2025, and referralsA core-network software failure took Starlink offline worldwide for about 2.5 hours on Jul 24, 2025, per press. Background on what an outage does to a pending referral.
1099-MISC reporting threshold rises to $2,000 for 2026 paymentsA 2025 law raised the 1099-MISC reporting threshold for prizes, awards and other income from $600 to $2,000 for payments made in 2026, per IRS instructions.