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Starlink Internet Review: Low Satellites, High Pricing

Starlink's growing fleet of low-orbiting satellites can deliver fast speeds and low latency, but the service isn't cheap.

Article updated on March 3, 2024 at 10:56 PM PST

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Written by 
David Anders,
Trey Paul,
Ry Crist
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David Anders Senior Writer
David Anders is a senior writer for CNET covering broadband providers, smart home devices and security products. Prior to joining CNET, David built his industry expertise writing for the broadband marketplace Allconnect. In his 5 plus years covering broadband, David's work has been referenced by a variety of sources including ArcGIS, DIRECTV and more. David is from and currently resides in the Charlotte area with his wife, son and two cats.
Expertise Broadband providers, Home internet, Security Cameras
Trey Paul Senior Editor
Trey Paul is a CNET senior editor covering broadband. His 20+ years of experience as a writer and editor include time at CNET's sister site, Allconnect, and working with clients like Yahoo!, Google, The New York Times and Choice Hotels. An avid movie fan, Trey's career also includes being a film and TV critic while pursuing a degree in New York.
Expertise Home internet and broadband, including plans, providers, internet speeds and connection types. Movies and film studies. Credentials
  • Master's degree in Cinema Studies from NYU and interviews with Conan O'Brien, Stan Lee and some of his biggest Star Trek childhood idols
Ry Crist Senior Editor / Reviews - Labs
Originally hailing from Troy, Ohio, Ry Crist is a writer, a text-based adventure connoisseur, a lover of terrible movies and an enthusiastic yet mediocre cook. A CNET editor since 2013, Ry's beats include smart home tech, lighting, appliances, broadband and home networking.
Expertise Smart home technology and wireless connectivity Credentials
  • 10 years product testing experience with the CNET Home team
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Starlink rating

How we calculated our rating

6.5
/ 10
SCORE
Speed
6.5/10
Value
6/10
Customer Care
7/10
Pros
  • Decent speeds for a rural connection
  • Low latency
  • Unlimited data
  • Mobile internet available
Cons
  • High upfront costs
  • Slower than cable or fiber internet
  • Vulnerable to inclement weather

Starlink, the internet venture from billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, offers broadband connections to almost anyone on the planet through a growing network of low-orbiting satellites. After dozens of successful launches, including a recent deployment of 23 satellites snuck in after a delayed NASA launch, Starlink boasts over 5,900 functional satellites orbiting overhead, and service is, for the most part, fully operational throughout the US. 

OK, so it’s satellite internet? Well, yes, but the number of satellites and the distance at which they orbit the earth make for a vastly different product than the satellite internet you may be familiar with from Hughesnet and Viasat.

Starlink has the potential to offer moderately faster speeds than Hughesnet and Viasat (not to mention other common rural internet services) and significantly lower latency. That’s nice, but the real kicker is the unlimited data. Hughesnet and Viasat promote “no hard data caps,” but anyone who has had either service knows that data is far from unlimited.

Locating local internet providers

Such advantages come at a high price. Starlink’s 5TB mobile tier costs up to $5,000 per month, but that’s for roaming service and the highest amount of priority data. If you’re interested in home internet with standard data, the service comes at a much more reasonable monthly rate of $120.

Considering the expected speeds, 25 to 220Mbps, that’s still high compared to most top internet providers, but it’s not a bad deal for rural internet. Hughesnet and Viasat can easily cost as much or more per month and come with potentially slower speeds, plus the pains of high latency and low data allowances.

Locating local internet providers

Is Starlink worth the cost? Here's everything you should know about Starlink before signing up.

Map showing Starlink availability across the US
Starlink

According to Federal Communication Commission data from June 2023, Starlink is available to 99.6% of US households. That's the highest coverage percentage of any internet provider, including Hughesnet and Viasat.

As shown in the map above, there are a few pockets, specifically in southern California, West Virginia and New Mexico, where service is "coming soon." Still, Starlink's coverage is impressive. I ran serviceability checks using addresses from California to Connecticut and down south in Alabama and rural Texas and received a response indicating that "Starlink is immediately available" every time.

Service isn't limited to just the US. Per Musk, the list of countries currently served by the growing network of low-orbit satellites includes the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand and others.

Starlink's fleet expansion continues at a rapid rate

By the end of February, Starlink had launched 12 new satellite payloads in 2024, adding 269 to the fleet of nearly 6,000 functional satellites. There's still a way to go. Starlink will likely need at least 10,000 satellites in orbit before it can claim to offer full service to most of the globe, and SpaceX has shown signs that it wants as many as 42,000 satellites in the constellation.

What does this mean for Starlink plans?

Ideally, Starlink's coverage and speeds will improve with every launch. Starlink's website says, "Starlink users typically experience download speeds between 25 and 220Mbps, with a majority of users experiencing speeds over 100Mbps." That said, the internet speed-tracking site Ookla, reported that Starlink offered average download speeds of nearly 67Mbps in the US during the first quarter of 2023.

That's down significantly from the end of 2021 when Starlink had median download speeds of just over 100Mbps. The drop may be the result of growing subscriptions and increased network congestion. Hopefully, average speeds will jump back up to around 100Mbps or higher soon as groups of new satellites are added to the fleet.

Starlink internet plans and pricing

Starlink plan Monthly priceSpeed rangeEquipment costsData allotment
Standard $120 25-220Mbps$599 upfrontStandard unlimited
Priority $140-$50025-220Mbps$2,500 upfront40GB-2TB, standard unlimited thereafter
Mobile $150-$20025-220Mbps$599 upfrontStandard unlimited
Mobile Priority $250-$5,00025-220Mbps$2,500 upfront50GB-5TB, standard unlimited thereafter

$120 per month is a lot for home internet service, especially one that isn't nearly as fast as a cable or fiber connection. There's also the hefty upfront equipment fee, which is higher than equipment purchase costs from Hughesnet and Viasat, both of which also come with the option to rent your equipment.

Still, Musk is betting that the cost will be worth it for people who have thus far lived without access to a reliable connection. That said, Starlink does offer a $90 monthly plan for folks in "high-availability locations." But the vast majority -- or "most locations," as it says on the website -- will face a monthly charge of $120.

starlink-cnetbb-logo-c.png

Starlink's benefits help justify the cost

While I'd like to see a bit more speed and consistency for the price, Starlink adds value in areas where other satellite services cannot.

The Standard home internet plan comes with unlimited data while the Priority plan comes with 40GB, 1TB or 2TB of "priority" data depending on the tier you choose. Once your priority data pool is exhausted, the service switches over to standard data.

When that happens, your bandwidth is prioritized the same as everyone else on the network at any given time. That can result in slower speeds for the remainder of the billing cycle, but it's far less of a penalty compared to the substantial and intentional speed throttling Hughesnet and Viasat can enforce once customers surpass their monthly data allotment.

Starlink is also contract-free, whereas signing up with Hughesnet and Viasat typically involves agreeing to a two-year contract and the early termination fees that come with it. That said, I'd imagine the high initial costs are reason enough for Starlink customers to keep their service for a while, regardless of any contractual obligations. Undamaged equipment is refundable to customers who cancel in the first 30 days of service but not after.

Finally, there's the low latency. Sometimes called "ping," latency measures the time it takes for information to travel to and from your internet provider. Geostationary satellites, like those employed by Hughesnet and Viasat, orbit some 22,000 miles above the Earth, resulting in the highest latency of any modern internet connection.

Starlink satellites zip around the planet at an altitude of around 350 miles -- 60 times closer to the Earth's surface than traditional satellites, per the company's claims -- so it takes far less time to transfer information back and forth. As a result, Starlink's latency is comparable to cable internet and other terrestrial connection types and low enough to support online gaming and avoid excessively lagging video calls.

Watch this: Testing Out SpaceX Starlink Satellite Internet

Starlink setup seems surprisingly simple

All you need to do to connect is set up a small satellite dish at your home to receive the signal and pass the bandwidth on to your router. The company offers several mounting options for rooftops, yards and the exterior of your home. There's even a Starlink app for Android and iOS that uses augmented reality to help customers pick the best location and position for their receivers.

In 2021, CNET's John Kim signed up for Starlink at his home in California and began testing it at various locations. At home, he averaged download speeds of around 78Mbps and latency of around 36ms. You can see more of his first impressions in the video above.

How does Starlink compare?

Starlink isn't replacing your fiber, cable or even fixed wireless connections like Verizon 5G Home Internet and T-Mobile Home Internet just yet, or possibly ever. That doesn't seem to be the intent behind the service. Starlink is best suited to provide a practical solution for broadband in underserved areas or in a mobile sense, where traditional wired or fixed wireless services are unavailable.

Such areas have previously had two internet options: Hughesnet or Viasat. Starlink has emerged as a third option, so how does it compare to its satellite internet rivals?

You may pay more per month with Starlink than Hughesnet and Viasat, and you'll pay more upfront. Hughesnet is a bit cheaper, with standard rates of $75 to $110 monthly for maximum download speeds of 50 or 100Mbps. Viasat's standard rates range from $100 to $400 per month depending on your plan, so Starlink may be a cheaper option than Viasat despite the faster speed potential, unlimited data and lower latency.

Both Hughesnet and Viasat have lower equipment fees than Starlink. Purchasing equipment from Hughesnet or Viasat can cost around $300, while Starlink charges double that at $599. There's also the option to skip the upfront fee and rent equipment from Hughesnet or Viasat for an additional $13 to $15 per month. No such option is available with Starlink; customers purchase the equipment and after 30 days, it's theirs to keep.

While more expensive, Starlink equipment is apparently simple to set up (as seen in the video above) and does not require professional installation. Hughesnet and Viasat, on the other hand, require professional installation, which can add $100 or more to your upfront costs.

So, pricing and the equipment situation can be a toss-up between all three satellite providers depending on the provider or plan you choose and the route you go with the equipment. Starlink holds the advantage in basically every other category, including speeds, latency, data allowances and contract requirements.

What's the final word on Starlink?

Starlink is an exciting and much-needed addition to rural internet's long-limited landscape. Although service is slower and more expensive than many other providers and connection types, the relatively high speed potential, low latency, unlimited data and no contract requirements boost its value as a rural internet provider.

Starlink internet FAQs

Does bad weather affect Starlink?

Struggles with inclement weather are definitely a downside to satellite internet. Per Starlink's FAQ, the receiver can melt snow that lands on it, but it can't do anything about surrounding snow build-up and other obstructions that might block its line of sight to the satellite.

"We recommend installing Starlink in a location that avoids snow build-up and other obstructions from blocking the field of view," the FAQ reads. "Heavy rain or wind can also affect your satellite internet connection, potentially leading to slower speeds or a rare outage."

Can you see Starlink satellites in the sky?

Concern about the proliferation of privately owned satellites in space and controversy in astronomical circles about the impact of low-orbiting satellites on the night sky is not uncommon. 

In 2019, shortly after Starlink's first broadband satellite deployment, the International Astronomical Union released an alarm-sounding statement warning of unforeseen consequences for stargazing and the protection of nocturnal wildlife.

"We do not yet understand the impact of thousands of these visible satellites scattered across the night sky and despite their good intentions, these satellite constellations may threaten both," the statement reads.

Since then, Starlink has begun testing various designs intended to reduce the brightness and visibility of its satellites. At the start of 2020, the company tested a "DarkSat" satellite with a special, non-reflective coating. Later, in June 2020, the company launched a "VisorSat" satellite that features a special sunshade visor. In August, Starlink launched another batch of satellites -- this time, they all were equipped with visors.

"We want to make sure we do the right thing to make sure little kids can look through their telescope," Shotwell said. "It's cool for them to see a Starlink. But they should be looking at Saturn, at the moon ... and not want to be interrupted."

"The Starlink teams have worked closely with leading astronomers around the world to better understand the specifics of their observations and engineering changes we can make to reduce satellite brightness," the company website reads.

Where can I learn more about Starlink?

We'll continue to cover Starlink's progress from various angles here on CNET, so stay tuned. You should also keep track of Eric Mack's excellent work covering Starlink. Among other issues, he closely examines the project's goals and challenges and the implications for underserved internet consumers and astronomers concerned with light pollution obstructing views in the night sky.

Beyond that, we expect to continue testing Starlink's network for ourselves as it expands. When we know more about how the satellite service stacks up as an internet provider, we'll tell you all about it.

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