Connectivity Intel: Starlink Hike and the TP-Link Ban

Welcome to this week’s roundup of what cellular and satellite networking pros are talking about. Two stories dominated the conversation: a Starlink price increase that hits existing subscribers on June 18, and the federal push to ban TP-Link routers in the United States. We also track fresh firmware from Peplink and Teltonika, plus the latest from the RouterCVE Report Card.

Starlink Raises Prices on June 18

SpaceX is raising monthly rates on most Starlink plans by $5 to $10, with the change reaching existing subscribers starting June 18. Residential customers see the biggest jump at $10 per month. On the mobility side, the Roam 100GB plan moves from $50 to $55 and the Roam Unlimited plan rises from $165 to $175. The newer Roam 300GB tier holds at $80. Dish and router firmware updates remain zero rated and do not count against your data cap. Industry watchers tie the timing to looming competition from Amazon Leo, the rebranded Kuiper constellation slated to launch service in mid 2026.

For the many customers who bond Starlink with cellular through a Peplink or Pepwave router, the takeaway is simple. The economics of a blended satellite plus cellular setup just shifted, so it is worth reviewing whether your data tier still matches your usage.

Washington Moves to Ban TP-Link

The U.S. Commerce Department has proposed blocking new sales of TP-Link products after a months long review of the company’s ties to China. The Departments of Homeland Security and War backed the proposal. Regulators cited supply chain and cybersecurity risks, including the Flax Typhoon botnet that compromised hundreds of thousands of consumer routers, many of them TP-Link devices. TP-Link says it is confident in its supply chain and welcomes an industry wide review. With TP-Link holding roughly 36 percent of U.S. home router unit sales, a ban would reshape the low cost router market and accelerate migration toward vetted enterprise and industrial brands.

This follows the FCC’s March 23, 2026 update to its Covered List, which added consumer grade routers produced in foreign countries. Vendors can seek Conditional Approvals through an interagency review to stay off the list.

Firmware and Security Watch

Peplink users spent the week on firmware. The 8.6.0 Beta line continues to mature, adding native OneWeb as a WAN type, WireGuard, and 5G Standalone support across supported models, on top of the stable 8.5.4 release from February that carried a critical security advisory. A recurring thread on the Peplink Community covers Starlink firmware updates that can knock Peplink routers offline in bridge mode, a reminder to stage firmware changes on both the dish and the router before they hit production sites. SpeedFusion and eSIM data plans are now managed inside InControl, since the old SFC portal closed on January 15.

Teltonika shipped RutOS updates bringing 5G network slicing to its enterprise routers, plus a new Site Manager that lets a RutOS router oversee TAP access points and TSW switches on the same network. Inseego launched the MiFi PRO M4, its first new hotspot since 2022, built on the Qualcomm X72 modem with Wi-Fi 7 and now available through AT&T and T-Mobile Business. On the satellite networking integration side, Semtech (which owns Sierra Wireless) trimmed pricing on its AirLink LX40 and LX60 gateways.

RouterCVE Report Card

This is our baseline snapshot, so there is no prior week to diff against yet. Future roundups will flag grade and trend changes week over week. The current picture for the brands we carry is strong. Peplink, Cradlepoint, Digi, Inseego, Semtech, and Starlink all hold an A+ with zero new CVEs in the trailing 30 days. Teltonika sits at A+ with a single new CVE in the period and a Getting Better trend. Katalyst remains Too New to Rate.

Among the brands customers migrate away from, the contrast is sharp. TP-Link, Fortinet, Linksys, and GL.iNet all carry an F minus grade with a Getting Worse trend. Cisco holds an F with 12 new CVEs in 30 days, and Palo Alto Networks logged 19 in the same window. Full details live on the RouterCVE Report Card.

Spectrum and Industry

The FCC set the gears in motion for a new upper C-band auction, weighing the release of at least 100 megahertz and possibly up to 180 megahertz, with a congressional deadline of July 4, 2027. Regulators also questioned EchoStar about how it is using its 5G spectrum, while the broader market continues to consolidate spectrum among the largest carriers. For enterprises planning multi year connectivity, the signal is more mid band capacity coming, but concentrated in fewer hands.

5Gstore Take

Two themes run through this week: prices are climbing and the regulatory ground under cheap consumer routers is shifting. If you bond Starlink with cellular, revisit your Roam tier before the June 18 increase so you are not paying for headroom you do not use. If your fleet still leans on consumer grade gear, the TP-Link proposal is a good prompt to standardize on vetted industrial and enterprise platforms that score well on security and stay current with firmware.

We can help you plan that move. Explore Peplink, Cradlepoint, Digi, Teltonika, Inseego, Semtech and Sierra Wireless, and Katalyst on our site, or contact our team to match the right router and data plan to your deployment.

FAQ

When does the Starlink price increase take effect? The new monthly rates reach existing subscribers starting June 18, 2026, with most plans rising $5 to $10 per month.

Does the TP-Link proposal mean the routers are banned today? No. The Commerce Department has proposed blocking new sales, but it remains a proposal under review. We recommend planning a migration path to vetted enterprise and industrial brands now.

Which router brands score best for security? On the current RouterCVE Report Card, Peplink, Cradlepoint, Digi, Inseego, Semtech, and Starlink all hold an A+ with zero new CVEs in the trailing 30 days.