Starlink is Great, but Most RVers Don’t Need it for RV Internet

RV Life

A family outside of a parked RV enjoys their RV internet on laptops and tablets.

EZ Mobile Data: RV Internet for the Rest of us

Starlink has received a ton of press the last few years, and for good reason. I had a great experience with Starlink when testing, though that is not always the universal opinion. Like almost any RV internet solution, your mileage may vary. Pricing and plans for Starlink seem to fluctuate frequently as the system continues to grow and change.

The curiosity around Starlink is justified. However, it often diverts attention from existing, affordable solutions that already exist on the modern 5G cellular network. If you frequently camp outside the vast data network dominated primarily by AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, you should consider Starlink. The number of RVers that actually do that however, is smaller than you think.

Where do Most RVers Park for the Night?

The percentage of RVers who use full-service RV parks with available WiFi or easy access to cell towers can vary depending on the source and survey specifics. However, estimates from various surveys conducted within the RV industry suggest that a significant majority of RVers—around 70% to 80%—prefer staying in full-service RV parks or campgrounds. Those campgrounds offer amenities like water, electricity, sewer hookups, and WiFi or strong cell service for RV internet.

Internet access has become increasingly important, especially as more RVers work remotely or stay connected for entertainment purposes. According to surveys by groups like the KOA North American Camping Report and RV Industry Association, many RVers prioritize staying in parks that provide reliable Wi-Fi. Though, the quality of that Wi-Fi can vary from park to park, as well as the time of day.

Supplementing WiFi With a Cellular Data Plan

By and large, RV parks, resorts, and campgrounds that offer WiFi are in range of a cellular network. I have been to a few parks that had good Wi-Fi, but that is the exception rather than the norm. RVers that absolutely require good RV internet will often supplement sketchy park Wi-Fi by using their phone as a hotspot. This is great for checking email and doing a few Zoom meetings. But, when it’s 5:00 somewhere and you are ready to sip back and stream the game, park Wi-Fi may be too slow for streaming (or not allowed). And you don’t want to burn through all your available data usage on your phone.

What you need is a dedicated mobile hotspot with unlimited data usage. That term unlimited can be a bit of a misnomer. It’s important to read the fine print very carefully. Most cellular data plans for phones will throttle your speed once you hit a certain threshold, or if they feel their network is just too busy. These companies know you have a phone, and they don’t have any problem throttling you down if needed, slowing your RV internet down to a crawl.

The Benefits of a True Data Hotspot

Over the last several months I have been using and testing a 5G mobile hotspot device with a true unlimited data plan from EZ Mobile Data. The results have been quite amazing. We connect every laptop, every TV, every Roku device, and every iPad to this wireless hotspot device, just like we would connect to our wireless network at home. Whether our trip is 3 days or 3 weeks, we never have to think about our RV internet again.

With both of us working during the day and potentially streaming in the evening…it just works. All day, all night. Our devices find the hotspot network right away when they are turned on, and we aren’t dependent on our phones for the internet. There is no additional equipment to drag out and set up, and I can plug the hotspot in and/or charge it anywhere in the RV.

To help justify the cost for those times you don’t go RVing, a dedicated RV internet hotspot makes a great backup internet solution for home. If you are a streaming-only family, it’s a handy way to stream something else in a different room if another family member has control of your primary streaming source. For us, the incredible value and functionality we get when we do use it, far outweighs those cost concerns for months that we don’t go RVing, and the simplicity over other solutions like Starlink isn’t even close.

“Because we work from the road knowing that our service will never be throttled or reduced is reassuring so we do not need to watch our data utilization.”

Gary & Stacy Quimby – RVing To Alaska

How Do I Know If an RV Internet Hotspot is Right for Me?

As with any technology, it’s important to understand your needs, and your limits. Needs for a full-time RVer will be different than those of a part-time RVer or weekend warrior. Even within those disciplines there can be variances. Your need for RV internet should be weighed against how much you travel, how much you are willing to spend for internet, and the severity of that need.

While we are only part-time RVers, my wife and I understand that we cannot be without internet access when we travel, not ever. Not even for a day or two. We typically don’t go places without WiFi or cell service…we aren’t really off-grid folks. A solution like Starlink, for example, might solve our internet problem, but would not likely be worth the expense for the amount of travel we do and our preference for more populated locations.

At our favorite Corp of Engineers park, the cellular network is fantastic, but there is no television service at all … not even OTA. While we will toss in a DVD from time to time, streaming our local channels is usually our first choice. When we were using just our phones as hotspots for RV internet, we would invariably max at least one of them out, which would then be throttled to a miserably slow speed not even suitable for the phone itself.

Get Unlimited

An unlimited cellular data RV internet hotspot is the perfect solution for us, and frees us up to enjoy not only trips to our favorite COE, but any park or campground we normally visit. Admittedly, it’s not ideal for remote areas where boondocking and BLM camping are preferred, but we don’t frequent those places at all. The freedom is amazing. Most trips we don’t even bother to connect to the park’s WiFi system unless it’s really fast, which I may check if we are going to be there for more than one night.

Checking Campgrounds for WiFi and Cellular Network Speed

This obviously begs the question then, how do I know what the WiFi and cellular network situation is going to be at an RV park or campground I have never been to? Will the RV internet be any good? Fortunately, the most popular and most complete and in-depth campground review site, RV LIFE Campgrounds, offers connectivity information for every park, provided by real RVers. Each campground listed shows a Connectivity Panel, and speed test results from RVers that have frequented those parks.

Using a scale of Green=good, Orange=marginal, and Red=bad, you can see what kind of connectivity success others have had. You can also read the various tips and reviews from other campers who often comment on WiFi or connectivity, since it’s such an integral part of the RVing experience these days. While you are at a park, you can submit your own RV internet speed test and help the community of RVers.

RV Internet Solutions From EZ Mobile Data

EZ Mobile Data is focused on providing reliable High-Speed RV Internet anytime, anywhere. They offer two different plans which they dub the Pink Plan, and the Red Plan. The Pink Plan offers a very high threshold of 800gb of unthrottled data for $119.99 per month. The Red Plan is a true unlimited plan, again with no throttling, for $139.99 per month. Both plans require no contract, and can be canceled at any time.

You can bring your own device to the table, or choose one of their device options. Compared to the price and complexity of a solution like Starlink, a dedicated mobile data plan from EXMobile Data is a strong, viable solution for that 70-80% of RVers looking to supplement or replace park WiFi without burning through the data on their phones mobile data plan.

What About Canada and Mexico?

If your your goal of “seeing America” includes all of North America, EZ Mobile Data has you covered. Their Canada Plan allows unlimited usage in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. EZ Mobile Data’s Canada Plan specifically allows you to switch to any carrier you’d like in Canada. The plan could actually be used in a phone as well, and for customers looking to travel frequently between Canada and the US and have the flexibility to stay in Canada long term, this plan is an excellent option.

Enjoy Unlimited RV Internet

For us, traveling without our EZ Mobile Data solution is unthinkable. The peace of mind in traveling with a solid RV internet solution allows us to travel and work from the road more often if we want to, and provides a pocket-sized internet connection no matter where we go, at home or on the road. Visit ezmobiledata.com and Shop Plans today.

RV LIFE Readers Save 15%

Being a part of the RV LIFE family means you can save even more at EZ Mobile Data. RV LIFE readers save 15% buy using our special discount link or by using EZRVLIFE15 during checkout. Put an end to your RV internet woes with EZ Mobile Data.