(Photo: Nickolas Friedrich)
What is Starlink? Technically speaking, it’s a satellite internet system. But to average web users, it’s a potential godsend.
If you live in a city or a big suburb, you probably enjoy fast internet speeds, maybe at 1Gbps or beyond. But imagine enduring internet speeds at 20Mbps, or even as low as 0.8Mbps, every day. What’s worse, your home only has one or two internet service providers to choose from, leaving you stranded with crummy service.
Unfortunately, people across the US and the globe, are stuck in this very situation. Installing fiber in a city, and bringing Gigabit broadband to millions of customers is potentially lucrative, but not so much in a rural area home to only a few hundred people.
Enter Starlink. The satellite internet system from SpaceX is capable of delivering 150Mbps internet speeds to theoretically any place on the planet. All the customer needs is a clear view of the sky. In fall 2020, the system began serving its first users, many of whom were based in remote or rural regions of America—and the response was enthusiastic to say the least. Two years later, Starlink earned its first PCMag Readers’ Choice Award for top US ISPs, and did so again in 2023.
Below, we’ll cover basic questions about Starlink, including ones we’ve heard from our readers. Let us know in the comments what other questions you have, and we’ll update the story.
How Do I Sign Up for Starlink?
Go to Starlink.com. The site will take your address, and it’ll let you know if the satellite internet service is available in your area. Initially, demand for Starlink was so high that some users had to wait months to a year before they became eligible to receive service. But last year, SpaceX achieved enough capacity to remove the waitlist across the US.
Starlink is currently serving over 2.7 million users across the globe, with at least 1.3 million of those customers based in the US.
How Much Does It Cost?
After a price increase, Starlink currently costs $120 a month if you live in an area already full of other users. Otherwise, those living in under-utilized areas only need to pay $90.
You’ll also have to pay a one-time $599 fee for the Starlink satellite dish and Wi-Fi router, which the company will ship to your home. It's not cheap, but users in rural areas who have long struggled with slow broadband have told us that Starlink’s fast internet service makes the cost worth it.
The company also introduced a Business Starlink service, which offers faster speeds and steadier connections. But customers have to pay a $2,500 one-time fee for the Premium Starlink dish, along with higher monthly fees.
In Europe and Latin America, Starlink has reduced prices, likely to attract more subscribers.
How Does Starlink Work?
Satellite internet technology has been around for decades. It involves beaming internet data, not through cables, but via radio signals through the vacuum of space. Ground stations on the planet broadcast the signals to satellites in orbit, which can then relay the data back to users on Earth.
One of the main existing providers has been HughesNet, which relies on satellites 22,000 miles above the planet. SpaceX’s system improves on the technology in two notable ways: The company wants to use low-Earth orbiting satellites that circle the planet at only around 300 miles above the surface. The shortened distance can drastically improve the internet speeds while also reducing latency. Second, SpaceX wants to launch as many as 40,000 satellites in the coming years to power the system, ensuring global coverage without service dropouts.
In addition, the company has asked the FCC for permission to lower the orbits of its Starlink satellites even more in an effort to improve the performance and latency.
How Fast Is Starlink? Is the Internet Consistent?
You can check Starlink's official map to get an idea of the speeds you'll receive. Depending on your location, you can expect the download speeds to range from 50Mbps to 200Mbps. Meanwhile, latency comes in at around 20 to 30 milliseconds, which is on par with ground-based internet. Over time, SpaceX plans on bumping up the download speeds to 300Mbps and even higher, but currently some users are facing congestion issues. More on that later.
Expect speed increases as SpaceX launches more Starlink satellites into orbit, which as of April 2024 number over 5,600 in active operation. The company’s long-term goal is to eventually operate thousands of satellites, paving the way for download speeds at 1Gbps and then 10Gbps. However, Starlink service is also a work in progress. Users say the speeds can vary, and sometimes short outages can occur.
When Will I Get My Starlink?
You should receive your Starlink kit in about a week.
In 2021, the chip shortage prevented SpaceX from fulfilling Starlink orders. This left many pre-order customers disappointed since some had been waiting nearly a year for the service.
The current problem facing SpaceX is the need to launch more Starlink satellites in orbit to increase capacity for the network. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is aiming to double the number of Starlink satellites over the next year. In the meantime, the company's support page has been telling customers who are still waiting: "Our network is limited in the number of users we can accommodate in any one area, based on the design of our low Earth orbit satellite constellation. This means that in areas with high demand, there will be longer wait times for some customers."
In the meantime, Starlink has a "Best Effort" tier, which promises faster hookups, but slower speeds. Download speeds will range from 5Mbps to 100Mbps and you don't get a price cut.
What About Congestion as More Users Join?
SpaceX has quietly admitted that some users are experiencing congestion issues. In certain cases, the congestion is so bad users report seeing download speeds under 10Mbps and higher latencies. The company is promising to alleviate the congestion problems by launching more Starlink satellites in orbit. But some users are skeptical SpaceX can pull this off, given Starlink's growing popularity in the US and around the globe.
Does Starlink Work in Cold Weather or the Rain?
Yes, it does. SpaceX made sure to design the Starlink satellite dish to work in wintery and wet climates by building a heater into the dish itself.
"Starlink is rated to operate outdoors between -30 to +50 degrees Celsius, or -22 to +122 degrees Fahrenheit," the company says in a FAQ. Still, the company adds: "In extreme cases, heavy rain or wind may affect your connection, potentially leading to slower speeds or a rare outage. It is strongly recommended that you do not apply additional protective covers as this will degrade Starlink’s performance including its ability to melt snow."
For more, check out our hands-on experience using Starlink in rural Idaho last winter.
Where Is Starlink Available?
You can view where Starlink coverage is offered by going to the company's website, which lets you plug in your address to determine if Starlink is available in your area, or if you need to wait for access.
I Live in a City. Can I Use Starlink?
Yes, you can. But Starlink probably won't beat ground-based internet service providers, which can supply 1Gbps or even higher connections and tend to cost less.
In addition, Musk has pointed out the satellite technology can struggle to supply enough internet bandwidth to users residing in heavily populated locations. “Starlink is great for low to medium population density. But satellites are not great for high-density urban,” he told Joe Rogan in a February 2021 interview. “So you’re actually better off having 5G for that.”
Can You Game on Starlink?
Yes, on YouTube, you can find numerous videos of Starlink users playing games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on the service. There may be some lag, especially as your connection hops from one Starlink satellite to another, but users say the experience is playable.
Do You Own Your Starlink Dish?
Yes, you own the dish and the Wi-Fi modem once it’s delivered, according to the Starlink terms of service. You can return the equipment for a full refund within 30 days after you receive it.
Is it Easy to Install? What if I Live in the Woods?
Several years ago, Brian Westover, PCMag's Lead Analyst for Hardware, moved from a well-connected Utah city to a far more rural area in Idaho. His job requires high-speed internet (testing laptops often involves downloading as much as 70GB of data in a day!), so he signed up for Starlink. He received his kit two weeks after signing up, and has a full rundown of the setup process here.
Starlink customers say the equipment usually takes around five minutes to set up. No technician is needed. You’ll need to make sure the Starlink dish has a clear view of the sky in order to receive the high-speed internet, though, so it could take longer to set up if you need to place the dish on your home's roof.
To help you place the dish, SpaceX's mobile app for Starlink (available for iOS and Android) has a "field of view" analyzing function, which taps your phone's camera to find an optimal view of the sky around your home.
“The best guidance we can give is to install your Starlink at the highest elevation possible where it is safe to do so, with a clear view of the sky. Users who live in areas with lots of tall trees, buildings, etc. may not be good candidates for early use of Starlink,” the company added in its FAQ. “However as more satellites are launched, the field of view constraints will decrease, enabling a wider variety of users.”
We’ve seen users come up with creative ways to position a dish above the trees near their homes. The first-gen Starlink dish comes attached to a 100-foot cable, although users have found ways to extend its reach.
How Do I Install My Starlink Outdoors?
SpaceX actually sells a variety accessories, which you can use to mount the Starlink dish on a roof and route the cabling inside your home. The accessories can be bought through the official Starlink shop. For more, check out our Complete Guide to Starlink Accessories and Mounts.
For help setting up a Starlink dish, SpaceX originally didn't offer professional installs. As a result, numerous third-party satellite dish installers have filled the void, charging a fee to set up Starlink dishes in homes and business. But now SpaceX is rolling out "expert installs" for $199 per installation, starting with customers based in Ohio.
Can I Use My Starlink Dish at Another Location? What About on a Car?
Yes, you can. If you're on a residential plan, you can change your service address in the event you move to a new residence. You can also use Starlink at multiple different locations or on an RV through the Starlink Roam plan, which costs more.
Are There Any Data Caps?
Not in the US. “We really don't want to implement restrictive data caps like people have encountered with satellite internet in the past,” the company said in a 2020 AMA. “Right now we're still trying to figure a lot of stuff out—we might have to do something in the future to prevent abuse and just ensure that everyone else gets quality service.”
That said, the company nearly did implement a high-speed data cap in an apparent attempt to reduce congestion in the US. But it canceled that plan in May 2023.
This Sounds Too Good to Be True. Will Starlink Change Once Customers Are Locked In?
A reader sent me an email with this very worry. In response, I couldn’t help but think of this quote: “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
It would be ironic if decades from now people are complaining about SpaceX imposing data caps or charging too much for service.
But for now, subscribers call Starlink a game-changer that the rural internet market desperately needs. Starlink is also bound to face some competition in the coming years from Amazon and other satellite internet providers ready to invest in the technology. One day, consumers may have multiple fast satellite internet system options.
Does Starlink Lock You Into a Contract?
SpaceX says there's no need to sign a contract with Starlink. "You can cancel at any time if you decide the service is not a good fit for you," the company says in the FAQ. "You can return Starlink within 30 days of receipt for a full refund of your payment."
Where Can I Learn More About Starlink?
The official Starlink site has a comprehensive FAQ/support section for customers that covers the pre-order process, installation and various other issues that might pop up.
SpaceX has almost never replied to our questions about Starlink. Musk also has a contentious relationship with the media. So to cover Starlink, we’ve had to largely rely on Musk’s Twitter feed, the YouTube videos SpaceX uploads about Starlink launches, and the filings the company regularly makes to the FCC.
One great, non-official resource is the Reddit community for Starlink. Here, you can find actual users of Starlink, who often post about their experiences with the service, and answer questions. It also contains its own community-driven FAQ about Starlink, which is chock full of details.
Have You Reviewed Starlink?
Our analyst Brian Westover has both tested and reviewed Starlink. We've given the service an "Excellent" score for being the best rural internet provider available, but noted subscribing to Starlink can be pricey.
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