Internet at a construction job site, before the wires arrive

Residential

Fixed address only; not for business

Local Priority

From $55/mo, can move with the crew

Kit

$349 (Standard)

Basis

Research only, not field-tested

Which Starlink plan works at a job site

Starlink says Residential is for a fixed location: no in-motion use, no roaming away from the service address (checked Oct 5, 2026). Its terms also say Residential isn’t permitted for business use. A construction company moving a trailer every few months fails both tests.

Local and Global Priority are the business plans. Starlink lists what they include: Local/Global Priority include prioritized network access, public IP, in-motion use to 100 mph, telemetry dashboard and priority support. In plain terms, the kit can move from site to site, and you get priority on the network and support that answers at any hour. Starlink says there’s no contract (checked Oct 5, 2026), which suits a project that ends.

Size from real usage when you can. When priority data runs out, Starlink’s terms say: After the Priority data block runs out (and no top-up), speeds drop to e.g. up to 1 Mbps down / 0.5 Mbps up. A 50 GB top-up is $25. Turn off automatic phone backups on the trailer Wi-Fi; a whole crew’s photo libraries can empty a small plan.

Satellite or cellular?

Before buying anything, stand at the trailer and check signal on every carrier your crew uses. Check inside the trailer too: a steel box blocks a lot.

If the site has both, the Failover Builder walks through the two-line setup.

Power

The dish and router need steady power all day. A generator that gets shut off at lunch or overnight will take the internet with it, and a dip in voltage when a saw starts can reboot the router. Put the router and dish on their own circuit, and add a UPS so short cuts don’t drop calls. For battery and UPS sizing, see Starlink Mini USA.

Moving the kit between sites

1. At the new site, use the Starlink app’s obstruction check before you pick the mount spot. Cranes and new walls change the view of the sky as the job grows.
2. Mount the dish high and away from where equipment moves: a pole on the trailer, not the ground.
3. Run the cable where it won’t get driven over or cut. Use conduit across walkways.
4. If you use a public IP for cameras or remote access, expect it to change after a move. Starlink doesn’t offer static IPs (checked Oct 5, 2026).

Theft and weather

Treat the dish like any tool left on site: mount it out of easy reach, lock the trailer the router lives in, and note the serial number. Wind, snow and dust are part of job-site life; mount the dish solidly, keep the cable strain-relieved, and check it after storms. Follow Starlink’s own mounting guidance for your kit.