1.4 million Canadian cottages, mostly in Ontario, Quebec, BC, and the Atlantic. Most have no fibre, weak cellular, and rural Hydro that flickers in winter. Starlink Roam + Standby Mode = full broadband during cottage season, paused (cheap) off-season.
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Order Starlink — 1 month free →Roam + Standby = cottage cheat code
The magic combination for seasonal cottages:
- Cottage season (May-October): Roam 50GB at $75/month, OR Roam 300GB at $165/month for heavy use
- Off-season (November-April): Standby Mode at $15/month — account paused, ready to wake instantly when you arrive
Annual cost for typical Ontario cottage: 6 × $75 + 6 × $15 = $540/year. Compare to:
- Bell DSL year-round (if available): $80 × 12 = $960/year for 10 Mbps
- Xplore satellite year-round: $100 × 12 = $1,200/year with 700ms latency
- Cellular hotspot (Bell unlimited): $90 × 12 = $1,080/year with limited speeds
Which dish for a cottage?
The decision depends on whether you transport it between home and cottage:
- Mini ($299): if you transport between locations or want portability for occasional second-cottage visits
- Standard ($349): if you leave the dish permanently at the cottage (year-round mount)
If your cottage is year-round access and you don’t transport: Standard is better (faster speeds, more user capacity). If you do transport: Mini wins (1.5 kg vs 5 kg).
Installation for cottages
- Cabin or guest cottage: kickstand or simple wall mount on the south side
- Main cottage with multiple users: roof or pole mount for best speeds and coverage
- Tree-covered cottage: pole mount 5-7 metres above tree canopy
- Waterfront cottage: install with view towards the open lake side, often the best sky view
Winterizing a cottage Starlink installation
If you leave the dish at the cottage over winter:
- Switch to Standby mode ($15/month). Dish stays powered but doesn’t use data.
- Leave power on: heater protects the dish from -55°C cold
- Disconnect router if you turn off cottage power: dish will be inactive but undamaged
- Surge protection: lightning storms common in cottage country, install a $30 surge protector