Staying connected on the road is for some of us no longer a luxury, it’s how we check the weather, keep in touch with family, stream a movie, or even work from the caravan. For us grey nomads travelling Australia, Starlink has become the go-to option when mobile coverage falls short.
This article aims to explain which plan / strategy is right for you.
How much Data do you use?
This is the first question to ask yourself.
Below is a quick table of roughly how much each activity per user of data could be used.
The biggest data usage is video, by a long way.
| Activity | Data Per Hour | 50 GB Covers | 108 GB Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web browsing / email | ~150 MB | ~330 hrs | ~720 hrs |
| Video call (HD Zoom/Teams) | ~1 GB | ~50 hrs | ~108 hrs |
| Music streaming (Spotify, normal) | ~70 MB | ~715 hrs | ~1,540 hrs |
| YouTube (HD 1080p) | ~1.5 GB | ~33 hrs | ~72 hrs |
| Netflix (HD 1080p) | ~3 GB | ~16 hrs | ~36 hrs |
| Netflix (Ultra HD 4K) | ~7 GB | ~7 hrs | ~15 hrs |
Starlink Roaming Options
1. Standby Mode $8.50/month
- Not a “real plan,” this is what happens when you pause your plan (50GB, or unlimited)
- Provides very limited connectivity 0.5Mbps, just enough for messaging, email, weather checks, and reactivating your service.
- If you are happy with this very limited access, then you could just stay on this paused plan.
2. 50 GB Plan $80/month
- Designed for light to moderate use.
- Great for browsing, emails, video calls, some YouTube, and the occasional Netflix session.
- Can be extended with top-ups to ~108 GB before it costs more than the Unlimited plan.
- Suits couples who are careful with streaming and willing to manage data use.
3. Unlimited Plan $195/month
- Higher monthly cost, but you never have to count gigabytes.
- Perfect for full-timers who stream TV nightly, work from the van, or don’t want to track usage.
- The “hassle-free” option — especially when travelling through areas with patchy mobile coverage.
- If you are a family with kids who are on their devices all the time, then this probably what you will need.
Streaming apps on TV
One thing to watch out for: some smart TV apps don’t let you choose resolution. They often default to HD or even 4K if your subscription and network speed allows it, Starlink speed means it is an option that will be allowed.
That means:
- Watching the same Netflix show on your phone might use 0.7 GB/hr (SD).
- The TV app could chew through 3–7 GB/hr for the exact same program (4K).
- It’s not the screen size itself, but the streaming quality chosen automatically by the app.
Tips:
- Check if your account settings allow you to set playback quality (e.g. Netflix does, needs to be done for each profile).
- Use an external streaming stick (Fire Stick, Chromecast, Apple TV) — these often give you more control.
- Consider pre-downloading shows on your phone/tablet over free Wi-Fi, then casting them later.
Changing plans FAQ’s
The Billing Cycle
- Starts on the anniversary of first activation of your account
- Is paid in advance
- When re-activating our account, you pay the pro-rata amount of what is left in your current billing cycle. i.e if re-activating on the 15th, and your billing cycle is 20th of the month, then you will get billed $195/30 X 5 = $32.50 (Roam Unlimited, assuming 30 days in the current month)
- When activating your account mid-month, you still get the full 50GB, it is not pro-rata.(50GB Plan)
Can I upgrade my plan mid-month?
- Yes. If you go from the 50 GB plan to Unlimited, the change takes effect immediately.
- You’ll be billed pro-rata for the remainder of your billing cycle.
- Your plan will automatically renew as Unlimited until you change plans again (or pause).
Can I downgrade my plan mid-month?
- Not really, you stay on your current plan until the next billing cycle begins.
- Starlink does not refund the unused portion of the higher-cost plan.
What happens when I hit 50 GB? (50GB Plan)
- You don’t get charged automatically.
- Your connection is throttled until you either:
- Wait for the next billing cycle, or
- opt-in to buy extra GB.
Pausing (Standby mode)
- This is now called Standby mode
- You can pause at any time in your current month, the change wont take place until the end of your current billing cycle.
- If you don’t like (need) the Standby-Mode, then you can cancel the service, re-activate when you want it back again. This is cancelling your service, NOT closing your account.
Which Plan should you use?
It all comes down to how much data you think you will use. The best gauge is to look at you internet usage history , most if not all ISP provide in your account page internet usage/month table, or graph, this should be a good guide to what you will use on the road.
Summary
If you are a heavy user of the internet, like watching videos, then the Unlimited plan will be for you (that’s us).
If you are not much of an internet user, don’t watch many videos, then possible the 50GB plan will work for you.
Below is a flow diagram for you to try out.
If you only want very basic internet, then maybe Standby-mode may work.
Summary
Starlink is a game changer. You are pretty much guaranteed full speed (NBN speed) access of the internet anywhere you can get a unobstructed view of the sky. It makes for a good backup to cellular networks, or even as your primary internet access while on the road.
Feedback
We love hearing from fellow travellers — your thoughts help others too!
Have you tried other Starlink plans? Let us know in the comments below.
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