The option to receive your internet from outer space is exciting, without a doubt. However, as Starlink grows, some of the same issues customers of regular ISPs complain about are starting to creep into SpaceX’s satellite internet offering.

The big one is data caps. Starlink is set to implement data caps on users, but when do Starlink’s data caps start, and how much can you download using Starlink?

As with all internet service providers (ISPs), providing a fair and balanced internet service to all users is important. Balancing supply and demand throughout each area is vital to a happy userbase, and for ISPs, if a few people are hoovering up all the available bandwidth, others cannot enjoy their internet connections.

While bandwidth concerns are genuine for ISPs, the issue is magnified for satellite internet providers like Starlink. The satellites launched into space can only provide so much coverage with a specified amount of bandwidth, meaning that, at times, heavy users can appear to use more than their fair share of resources.

Starlink’s Fair Use Policy explains things in greater detail, but the gist of it is that “Starlink is a finite resource that will continue to grow as we launch additional satellites. To serve the greatest number of people with high-speed internet, we must manage the network to balance Starlink supply with user demand.”

A data cap aimed at limiting and distributing data fairly throughout the network is the best option, then.

In early November 2022, Starlink announced the introduction of a 1TB Priority Access data cap that would track data use through the peak hours of 7am to 11pm. During those hours, any data used contributes toward the 1TB data cap. Anything outside those hours doesn’t—fairly standard stuff for a data cap from any ISP.

Furthermore, once a customer hits the 1TB data cap, it will cost an additional $0.25 per gigabyte (GB) extra. Considering that the standard Starlink subscription starts at $110 per month, charging extra could quickly escalate into a substantial bill.

As pointed out by Reddit user Nibbloid, it’d be cheaper to take out a second Starlink subscription rather than paying the $110 plus $250 for a whole extra terabyte of data. Of course, that’s an extreme, and we’re putting aside the Starlink installation and hardware cost to make the point work, but you see how the math doesn’t quite stack up.

When the Starlink data cap rolls out, each user will start the month with “Priority Access.” Once you exhaust your 1TB of Priority Access data, your account switches to “Basic Access.” In network terms, Priority Access data is given precedence over Basic Access data.

There is no indication that Starlink will actively throttle Basic Access users. Basic Access users also have unlimited data usage.

The only major difference is that during periods of network congestion, those still using their Priority Access period will receive network preference over those using Basic Access. Starlink does acknowledge that the difference could result in performance issues for certain online activities, though.

But during quiet periods, there should be no difference between the quality and speed of Priority and Basic Access. It all comes down to how many other Starlink users are in your geographical cell. There are several ways you can track Starlink satellites, and Satellite Map is a great option. Note that you cannot see how many other Starlink users are in the same area as you.

The $0.25 per GB figure above details how users can buy more Priority Access data. All data tracking will take place through the Starlink App and Starlink Customer Portal, where you’ll also be able to opt-in or opt-out of the purchase of more Priority Access data.

Data caps aren’t great for anyone. Still, it’s worth considering how much data and the types of data that’ll burn through that 1TB data cap. We’ve previously looked at what 1GB of data is and what it gets you, but 1TB is a big step up from that.

But it depends on what you want to do to how long it’ll take to blast through your 1TB.

For example, most online gaming uses 100MB of data per hour, which would take you up to 10,000 hours to use your full data allowance. But throw in some AAA game downloads, which now average around 100GBs, and that Priority Access period will rapidly decrease.

Similarly, watching HD content on Netflix will use around 3GB of data per hour. But if you decide to watch 4K content, you’ll burn through about 7GB of data per hour.

For some users, 1TB will be more than enough. For others, like a large family streaming on multiple devices, 1TB is going to become restrictive and fast.

Starlink’s data cap will launch in February 2023, rolling out to users in Canada and the United States. Unfortunately, the US and Canada are the guinea pigs for Starlink’s data cap and are the first two countries to contend with Priority Access and Basic Access to Starlink’s satellite internet.

It seems highly likely that Starlink’s 1TB data cap will roll out to other countries in time, especially as Starlink’s user base and coverage continue to grow.