The Starlink portal provides bar graphs showing traffic amounts per day. This is the same data that is provided to IBIS via the API. IBIS uses the API to check whether traffic statistics have been updated, and if so, creates an artificial CDR which is loaded into IBIS.
Recent improvements made by Starlink to their usage APIs have reduced their processing delay to around 15 minutes. IBIS checks the usage API continuously so the usage data in should be around 30 minutes behind (depending on system load).
Timing
According to Starlink’s specification, the daily volumes are based upon the timezone in which the terminal is located. But since the location of the terminal is not passed in the usage information to IBIS, usage times are interpreted as UTC time zone. This timing issue also affects the availability of the new allowance (whether the traffic is categorised at restricted or unrestricted) at the beginning of the month.
CDRs
Artificial CDRs are generated from the usage statistics available from the API.
There are two CDR Types:
- PF = Partial First. The CDR is from today so we expect further usage. The CDR will later be replaced by a new CDR.
- F = Full. The usage ocurred long enough ago that we don’t expect it to be updated. When a new PF CDR is generated for the next day, all previous CDRs become Full (F).
Starlink offers two levels of service. Priority Data is prioritised over Standard Data. Both of these are available for Fixed and Mobile use.
Terminals can be opted-in to overages for Priority Data. When opted-in, once the data allowance is consumed, the terminal will be charged an out-of-bundle rate per GB for continued Priority Data.
Opted out terminals that have consumed all their data allowance will either revert to Standard Data (typically when on or near land) or perhaps lose connectivity (typically when at sea). From experience, the termination of Priority Data does not happen exactly when the allowance is consumed but may continue for a few GB above the allowance. This excess data should not be charged for opted-out terminals. However, this excess data is still marked with service variant FIXED_UNRESTRICTED or MOBILE_UNRESTRICTED just like the data within the allowance and as such, depending upon the price plan, may result in an unexpected charge. After the Priority Data is terminated the service variant becomes FIXED_RESTRICTED or MOBILE_RESTRICTED.
Billing
If a terminal is opted-out and is on a price plan that has pricing for out-of-bundle traffic, IBIS identifies this excess data and will waive the charge on the invoice using the following logic:
- The underlying Starlink Product allowance must be greater than or equal to the price plan allowance.
- The overage volume expressed as a percentage of the monthly allowance of the price plan must be below a configurable threshold. (Settings: inv_StarlinkMaxWaivedAllowanceOverrunPercentage)
- The terminal has not been opted-in at any point during the month.
If the above conditions are met, the way in which the charge on the invoice is handled depends upon the setting inv_StarlinkWaivedAllowanceOverrunMode as follows:
- Ignore. No excess use charge is added to the invoice at all.
- Zero Charge. An excess use charge is added to the invoice with zero amount with an indication that the excess use is waived.
- Credit. An excess use charge is added to the invoice but a second negative charge is added to credit it.
The CDRs created are not affected by this logic and will show an out-of-bundle price, so the total airtime charges will not match the total out-of-bundle amount of the CDRs for the terminal. In the case of the Credit option, the charges will match if the credit is ignored.