This introduction of the congestion fee follows a limited-time $200 discount on the Starlink dish, which is available until early October.

This fee targets regions experiencing slower Starlink speeds due to network capacity limitations, particularly in southern and eastern states such as Texas, Florida, Kansas, Ohio, and Virginia.

SpaceX has implemented a one-time $100 congestion fee for new Starlink customers in areas with high subscriber density.

The congestion fee is applied during the checkout process for the Starlink residential plan, which has a monthly cost of $120.

Notably, the congestion charge also applies when activating a new Starlink dish, meaning customers cannot circumvent the fee by purchasing through third-party retailers.

The fee reflects SpaceX's strategy to manage user growth and revenue while preventing overload on the Starlink network, which currently operates over 6,000 satellites.

According to SpaceX's support page, the fee will only apply to new service plan activations and will be refunded if customers return the service within the 30-day return window.