Starlink Residential Lite equivalent capping to 100Mbps

Forums › New Zealand Broadband › Starlink Residential Lite equivalent capping to 100Mbps

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Aucklandjafa

522 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 249

#3455920 26-Jan-2026 07:56

This is a classic bait and switch. Thing is: a 100mbit service at the current price point is still be better than existing services users would have been receiving. I guess users are lucky they didn't introduce a capped plan, forcing people to move to a higher tier.

Bring on comp in the LEO ISP space, I say.......

boosacnoodle

1274 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 858

#3455923 26-Jan-2026 08:18

I’ve tried the new 100 Mbps plan now and the upload is around 30+ Mbps. Seemed to work well. To those saying it’s not bait and switch, the email said that Residential Lite is equivalent and suitable to 100 Mbps. That may be true for some but on every connection I manage it’s just not based in reality - 300-400 Mbps was the norm.

RunningMan

9186 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4838

#3455925 26-Jan-2026 08:35

Rust:[snip]. The only differentiating feature left is the speed.

Which is now limited to 100Mb/s but wasn't when people signed up, hence the bait & switch complaints.

There's no technical or other problem with the new product, it's just a lower spec than what was provided when people signed up.

boosacnoodle

1274 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 858

#3455931 26-Jan-2026 08:59

I read elsewhere online multiple cases where people had just purchased a kit which was signed up for Residential Lite having been sent the email downgrading them to 100 Mbps while the unit was still in-transit to them.

Nate001

677 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 465

#3455936 26-Jan-2026 09:21

The usual litmus test applied is "would an average person expect xyz to happen". I'd argue the average consumer would not have understood getting 200-300Mbps on a 'lite' plan was better than expected, and they should not have expected this to continue longer term.

Remember most on this forum have higher technical literacy and knowledge, but consider some of your clients or family members and their technical knowledge.

RunningMan

9186 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4838

#3455938 26-Jan-2026 09:30

Nate001:

The usual litmus test applied is "would an average person expect xyz to happen". I'd argue the average consumer would not have understood getting 200-300Mbps on a 'lite' plan was better than expected, and they should not have expected this to continue longer term.

This is exactly the test to apply - Would the average person suddenly expect their speeds to be reduced to half or a third of what they were and pay the same price?

The average consumer has no understanding of the finite nature of radio spectrum and therefore why limits are required and therefore it is reasonable for them to expect the serice they signed up for to continue, and any deliberate degradation to be reflected in say a price reduction.

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Yetti92

70 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 22

#3456667 28-Jan-2026 12:28

Aucklandjafa:

This is a classic bait and switch. Thing is: a 100mbit service at the current price point is still be better than existing services users would have been receiving. I guess users are lucky they didn't introduce a capped plan, forcing people to move to a higher tier.

Bring on comp in the LEO ISP space, I say.......

Well, Amazon Leo is planning to launch this year with possibly 1Gbps speeds... it will be interesting to see how that changes the market for LEOs in NZ and to a greater extent WISPs...

I would imagine this price point positions Starlink to offer this in future with its Max plan.

Aucklandjafa

522 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 249

#3456674 28-Jan-2026 12:56

Yeah, was just on Leo’s website this AM - 1Gbit speeds are impressive, saying that, the dish you need to use is pretty large.

Also saw elsewhere that Aussie’s NBN has chosen them for their rural BB provider.

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