Starlink Mini Is Mobile Satellite Internet Cheap Enough To Be Your Outage Backup Plan

In 2024, a new product category popped up among wireless internet providers: Reduced-capacity plans at lower prices than their standard home or traveling internet plans — targeting home and business users who want a backup option in case their primary broadband service fails. First up was T-Mobile Home Internet Backup, a 5G cellular service that offers 130GB of transfer per month at a monthly fee of $20 to $40 depending on if you use autopay or are a T-Mobile voice customer. With the hardware included for free, that's not a bad deal for some extra peace of mind. And now, one of T-Mobile's biggest competitors in wireless broadband, Elon Musk's satellite-based internet service provider, Starlink, has introduced the smaller Starlink Mini hardware and a related $50, 50GB Mini Roam plan. 

There's a high barrier to entry, though, as the Starlink Mini hardware is priced pretty steeply at $599. For a lot of people, that's going to be a tough pill to swallow, and makes it a secondary choice after one of T-Mobile's plans despite the reasonable monthly fee. In a vacuum, that $50 monthly fee makes it sound like a potential backup option, but that's only if you don't mind the upfront cost and have reasons to prefer Starlink's low-orbit satellites to T-Mobile's cellular service. So, who, exactly, has the optimal use case for Starlink Mini Roam?

Going by Starlink's description of the Mini Roam plan, it's "Best for weekend travelers, backup internet, and in-motion use." If nothing else, it's made clear that this is the plan that Starlink is positioning as its backup internet option for anyone who's looking at them for such a service. However, it's clearly best for people who specifically need reliable internet service on the go, with Starlink's satellites covering ground that includes gaps in T-Mobile's network. If you're going camping or off-roading in a remote area, then Starlink Roam Mini is probably the best possible option.

However, as with our previous Starlink vs. T-Mobile comparison, price is a significant factor here. In fact, in this case, it's an even bigger factor: No matter what way you slice it, T-Mobile Home Internet Backup costs less than Starlink Roam Mini, and that gulf gets wider with the hardware and data caps factored in. You should be able to get a good idea of how good T-Mobile service is at your fixed business or home address, and if it works the way it should, it seems like an easy choice for backup service. If you live somewhere more remote, like maybe someplace where broadband service is brand new and cellular service is iffier, then Starlink becomes a much more viable option. In cities, though? T-Mobile clearly has the better value backup home internet plan.