RNP BUSINESS GUIDES / Plans, costs & data
How much Starlink Priority data does my business need?
THE SHORT ANSWER
Size a Starlink Priority allowance from measured monthly traffic and the hours you expect to use the connection. For backup service, calculate the workload that must continue during an outage. For primary service, include uploads, cameras, updates and guest traffic, then review real usage after launch.
01 / Plans, costs & data
Where should the usage estimate start?
Export recent WAN traffic totals from the existing router or provider, if available. Separate unusual events such as a new computer rollout from the recurring workload. A monthly total is useful, but daily peaks reveal whether a short outage could consume much of a small backup allowance.
For a new site, inventory the applications and estimate their operating time. Mark each number as measured, supplied by a software vendor, or assumed. Keep the assumptions beside the calculation so the business can replace them after its first operating month. Employee count alone does not capture a continuously uploading camera or an overnight backup.
02 / Plans, costs & data
How do Mbps and operating hours become GB?
Illustrative calculation — not a measured Starlink result
Data in decimal GB = average Mbps × hours × 0.45
One megabit per second sustained for one hour transfers approximately 0.45 decimal gigabytes: 1,000,000 bits × 3,600 seconds ÷ 8 ÷ 1,000,000,000. Use average traffic over the relevant period, not the maximum speed printed on a plan.
A hypothetical backup workload averaging 5 Mbps in total across upload and download for an eight-hour outage transfers about 18 GB. Three such outages would be about 54 GB before extra traffic and protocol overhead. This is a planning example, not a typical-business benchmark or a recommendation that every business buy that allowance.
03 / Plans, costs & data
Which traffic belongs in the budget?
| Traffic class | Input to collect | Possible outage policy |
|---|---|---|
| Payments and cloud applications | Measured daily transfer and busiest intervals | Keep the necessary workflows available |
| Video meetings | Concurrent endpoints and meeting hours | Reduce video when the connection is constrained |
| Security cameras | Actual outbound bitrate and upload schedule | Retain local recording where the system supports it |
| System updates and cloud backups | Transfer sizes and schedule | Defer large transfers during a primary-link outage |
| Guest devices | Usage by guest network | Apply an agreed limit or suspend guest access during failover |
04 / Plans, costs & data
What happens if the allowance runs out?
Starlink states that Local and Global Priority service falls to up to 1 Mbps download and 0.5 Mbps upload when the allowance is exhausted without additional Priority data. Its help page also notes that restoring Priority speeds after a top-up can take 10–15 minutes. Do not make a payment queue depend on buying data only after the connection becomes constrained.
05 / Plans, costs & data
Who should control additional-data spending?
- Assign a named account owner to review current data consumption and the account’s billing settings.
- Agree which applications may be restricted before the allowance is depleted.
- Decide who can approve extra data and what the internal spending threshold is.
- Read the current purchase confirmation for recurring versus one-time charges.
- After the first billing cycle, compare the worksheet with actual use and revise the allowance.
About this guide
RNP’s planning recommendations are separate from vendor specifications. Sources were checked on October 15, 2026; current plan terms, availability and account-specific offers can change. Illustrative calculations are not installation measurements. RNP confirms project scope, price and local delivery availability after assessment.
PLAN THE INSTALLATION
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Share the applications, measured usage and outage duration you need to support.
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