The variability isn't a surprise: The beta invite said users should “Expect to see data speeds vary from 50Mbs to 150 Mbs and latency from 20ms to 40ms over the next several months as we enhance the Starlink system.”īut even by its own benchmarks, Starlink appears to be missing the mark. Now that the network is becoming more widespread - at the same time that Starlink is working to add to its 1,400+ satellites - things are less consistent.

That latency was on par with on-the-ground internet service. Starlink's October beta sign-ups garnered a flurry of enthusiasm, and initial Speedtest results (Opens in a new tab) as disclosed to the FCC were promising: Starlink achieved a 102 to 103Mbps download rate, 40 to 42Mbps upload rate, and a latency of 18 to 19ms. The drive to close the digital divide desperately needs more solutions like Starlink that get reliable, high speed broadband to sparsely populated areas. During the launch, the company announced (Opens in a new tab) that it had received 500,000 sign ups for the $99/month service. On Tuesday, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites to deploy for the network. Initially founded by Musk in 2015, Starlink launched in beta (Opens in a new tab) in October 2020, and had 10,000 users (Opens in a new tab) as of February. With Starlink, the only 'infrastructure requirement' is the company's $499 satellite dish and router, and a clear view of the sky. Instead of relying on fiber optic cables to provide internet access - which requires a lot of investment in expensive infrastructure projects by ISPs - Starlink users can place a satellite on their roof, which will send and receive data via radio waves from the Starlink satellite network in space. Starlink is SpaceX's satellite internet service that's focused on providing connectivity to rural areas. Looks like Starlink's low-flying satellites aren't quite up and running yet.

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