Restriction Forces Many Light Jets Off Its Most Affordable Plan

SpaceX is clipping the wings on its Starlink Mini users. The company announced that starting November 7, 2025, the maximum supported operating speed for its Roam, Local Priority, and Global Priority plans will drop from 550 mph (471 knots) to 450 mph (391 knots). The change comes as part of what SpaceX calls “ongoing efforts to optimize network performance.”

The update, sent via email to some Starlink customers, notes that dishes used at higher speeds may lose connectivity. For light aircraft owners who’ve quietly been using the portable $299 Starlink Mini to bring broadband sky-high, that’s a problem.

Until now, the Mini dish worked just fine on small jets and turboprops under the $165-per-month Starlink Roam plan. The new cap means that aircraft cruising faster than 391 knots, like Citations, Phenoms, and many other light biz jets, will need to upgrade to the full Starlink Aviation service. That plan starts at $2,000 per month for 20 GB, or $10,000 for unlimited use, and installation alone can cost up to $300,000.

For slower aircraft, the restriction may not matter much. Epic Aircraft’s E1000 GX, one of the few factory models to integrate a Mini antenna, tops out at 333 knots… well below the new threshold. Turboprops and piston singles using the portable Mini for email and weather should stay in the clear for the time being.

Still, the change clarifies SpaceX’s stance on keeping its premium aviation service separate from the cheaper, more flexible Roam offerings. With Starlink Aviation’s massive antenna, multi-hundred-thousand-dollar hardware cost, and jet-class target market, SpaceX wants high-speed connectivity to come with a matching price tag.

FMI: www.starlink.com