Free pause ends: Standby Mode at $5 a month, Roam 10GB dropped

What changed

RV Mobile Internet reported on August 13, 2025 two linked changes:

1. Free pausing ended. Starlink replaced it with Standby Mode at $5 a month. Standby gives unlimited low-speed data at up to 500 Kbps, both ways, which the report likens to 2G speeds. It’s meant for 12 months or less, and it was offered on Roam and Residential plans.
2. Roam 10GB was dropped. The $10-a-month, 10GB plan Starlink had added in March 2025 was no longer available, and its users were expected to move to Standby.

The report quotes Starlink’s description:

“You can pause your service with Standby Mode, which provides unlimited low-speed data for emergency messaging, ongoing Starlink software updates, and easy reactivation in dead zones for a small monthly fee.”

Before this, a paused Starlink line cost nothing and passed no data. Roam 10GB had briefly been a cheap “parking” plan: per a March 17, 2025 report, it cost $10 for 10GB with $2 per GB beyond that, and only existing customers could switch to it.

Who is affected

• Seasonal travelers who used to pause for free between trips.
• Roam 10GB users, who lost their low-cost plan.
• Snowbirds who left a dish paused for months at a time.

What it means for you

This is the change that made pausing a real cost. It’s also why older advice (“just pause it, it’s free”) is wrong today.

Standby has upsides the old pause didn’t: the dish keeps getting updates, you can send messages at low speed, and you can switch back to a full plan from a dead zone without needing cell service for sign-in. Whether it’s worth paying for depends on how long your gaps between trips are.

What to do now:

1. Price your off-season. Standby is now $10 a month (since May 16, 2026 for new customers, June 18 for existing). Our yearly cost guide counts paused months.
2. Compare pausing with cancelling in the plan picker, using your real travel calendar.
3. Learn the terms. Our glossary defines Standby, Roam and the other plan words you’ll see in your account.

What changed since

• March 2026: Standby was reclassified as a parked-only option; the app shows “Disabled while moving” if you try to use it on the road.
• May 16, 2026: the fee doubled from $5 to $10, per press reports.

What stays the same

• Standby still offers unlimited low-speed data, not a full stop.
• Starlink’s pause page says Standby is available on Roam, Residential and Priority plans, except promotional offers and some kit rentals.
• Starlink still says pausing more than 12 months in a row may bring a fee or a required plan change.