SpaceX Starlink Review 2023 | Here’s What Users Say About Starlink Internet

According to a prominent Ukrainian source, SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet has proved critical for Ukrainians who have survived the Russian attack. As per Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, Starlink has around 150,000 daily customers. Thus, Starlink has a big hand in restoring the destroyed territories and helping them to stay connected. If you are here to get the Starlink Review, you are on the right page to get your answers.

Starlink satellite terminals were supplied to Ukraine days after the war started in late February in reply to requests by Mykhailo Fedorov. Starlink (Service of Elon Musk) acknowledged that the service was operational in Ukraine and assured that even more stations would be sent. He also advised those using the facilities to be careful since Russian armies may attack them in an attempt to destroy connections.

If you have not installed the Starlink connection yet, you can do it right away. I am going to mention the Starlink Review here so that you will take the benefit from this facility. Let’s get started with the process now.

What is Starlink?

Starlink is the identification of SpaceX’s developing network or cluster of orbital rockets. It is formally a unit inside SpaceX. The very first experimental spacecraft was sent into orbit in 2018 after the network’s construction started in 2015.

Within the following years, SpaceX successfully launched dozens of Starlink systems into the network. The most recent one was on April 21 and transmitted 53 satellites into Earth orbit. The overall spacecraft launched now stands at 2,388, with even more than 2,000 of them appearing to be functioning network members.

Many of you are aware of the various satellite internet suppliers like HughesNet and Viasat. In the same manner, Starlink is on a mission to provide internet connections to remote areas of the world. Also, to those areas of the world that do not have any facilities of advanced broadband speed.

Starlink can provide a broadband connection to the far-flung areas of the world with the highest broadband speed. All you need to do is set up the connection at your home.

Starlink Unboxing

Once you open the grey Starlink packaging, you will find the following stuff in the pack. 

1. The Starlink motorized satellite dish– connected to a 30-meter (100-foot)
2. Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) cable
3. A metal tripod stand 
4. A power adaptor 
5. A small metal Wi-Fi Router with its own PoE cable. 

Why are Starlink Speeds Slowing?

The speed offered by Starlink at one point in time was very high. Over a period of time, the Starlinks speed is slowing as there are more people who are signing up. Starlinks, at one point in time, was much ahead of its competitors, but then, in May 2023, it decided to change its plans and pricing. 

Stralinks currently provides download speeds of 25–100 Mbps, and the upload speed it provides is 5–10 Mbps, whereas the latency lies in the range of  25–50 ms.

How Does Starlink Work?

Do you know what makes Starlink a hero? There are few or no fast broadband options in many parts of the world. Whether it is a Ukraine or any other far-flung area, Starlink acts as the best support for internet connectivity. Starlink simply delivers the signal to you as it consists of a network of satellites in Earth’s orbit.

Starlink does not use geostationary orbit or geostationary satellites like those used by Dish or DirecTV. Starlink dish users must be ready to migrate independently if they need to reposition themselves to pursue a new satellite.

However, Starlink has a strong benefit over DirecTV. It is because of its shorter orbit around Earth satellites. It is roughly 340 miles above the world, which significantly minimizes transmission lag or slowness. While DirecTV satellites have around 22,000 miles just above the globe.

How to Get Starlink?

If you want to know how to get Starlink, you can get it easily, and the Starlink kit will deliver to your home. For this, download the Starlink application and choose your location for the installation of the Starlink. You can download the Starlink app on your iOS as well as Android devices. If you want Starlink faster within a few days, follow the few steps.

1. Go to the Starlink map website.
2. Navigate through the locations where the Starlink service is available.
3. If the area is in black, that means there is a waiting list.
4. If the area is in green, that means you can get the Starlink service right away.

To get a clear answer on how to get a Starlink to your location, check out the video below. This will help you to get the Starlink within 13 days.

Starlink Cost Per Month | Satellite Internet Prices

Starlink is now taking orders and giving you the fastest service. Simply, you have to request a service, pay a $99 payment, and wait for your order.

Earlier, Starlink stated that certain online orders may take up to 6 months to get delivered; nevertheless, in other places, new orders may not be even delivered until 2023 or beyond.

Starlink price increase

Damn, there’s even inflation in space. pic.twitter.com/ZuFFAPXydf

— Whole Mars Catalog (Supervised) (@WholeMarsBlog) March 22, 2022

1. The Starlink cost per month was $99, including taxes as well as fees.
2. $499 for the advance purchase of the satellite dish and modem that you have to set up at your home.

Despite past promises from SpaceX officials that the installation costs will come down. However, SpaceX increased the monthly fees to $110. While equipment prices to $599 ahead in March.

Musk believes that paying $110 per month will give you a fast and reliable connection.

SpaceX recently introduced the newly designed Starlink internet plan with a scanning antenna double the normal plan. This plan has a download speed ranging from 150 to 500Mbps. This new package prices around $500 per month + a $2500 down payment for the hardware.

The Starlink internet costs in India will be around $158,000 in the first year. For the end-user equipment, it will cost around $37,400 and $7425 each month for the service.

Starlink Satellite Internet Speed

If I talk about the Starlink internet speed, it is working at the highest speed. Whether you want to stream 4k movies or upload or download videos, Starlink helps you to enjoy watching any type of media content without buffering issues. The top download speed was, well, about 90 Mbps. As of January 2023, the downloading speed has doubled to 200 Mbps. Starlink, at its end, has warned its users to anticipate speeds ranging from 50 Mbps to 150 Mbps, as well as intermittent interruptions.

NEWS: SpaceX Starlink dishes have arrived in the Ukraine.

Starlink provides high-speed, low-latency broadband internet in various countries across the globe. @elonmusk https://t.co/1YYdwObW3Q

— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) February 28, 2022

Starlink’s connectivity is far way better than Viasat and HughesNet. For most places, users may assume data speeds of 50 to 150 Mbps and delays of 20 to 40 milliseconds.

However, the most irritating aspect of Starlink is that the connection will fall out unexpectedly and will rejoin in milliseconds afterward.

If you want to check the speed of the Starlink, you can do it with the help of the speed test tools.

1. SpaceX Starlink Speed Test.
2. Starlink Speed Test.
3. Ookla’s Speed Test.

Starlink Satellite Internet Coverage

While there is no definite coverage map, Starlink seeks to offer its services to society in the future. The firm will first provide commercial service in the northern United States and Southern Canada. The firm will swiftly extend to the near-wide coverage of the populated countries.

Starlink has around 150,000 users. It has been found that the largest number of Starlink users are found in the Northwest United States as well as the Midwest. 

According to Apptopia, a data company, Starlink has roughly 150,000 active daily users in Ukraine. Better coverage will make it only more useful https://t.co/r5iyZ5nSSH

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) May 4, 2022

As of the beginning of April, SpaceX had launched approximately 1,300 additional satellites in space for the Starlink network. It should aid in the expansion and improvement of coverage.

Additionally, Starlink stated that it was focusing on ground-based routers and programs to decrease the number of failures. It also works on the improvements to the way Dish systems link to the satellite itself.

Starlink Satellite Internet Availability

Starlink service is now confined to certain regions in particular countries despite claims to reach the entire world with this facility.  Even so, as more satellites enter the group, the coverage map will expand significantly.

The list of countries that are currently serviced by the Starlink is as follows:

1. United States
2. Canada
3. Europe  
4. Germany
5. New Zealand
6. Australia
7. Austria
8. Netherlands
9. Belgium
10. Ireland
11. Denmark
12. South America  
13. Chile
14. Portugal
15. Switzerland
16. Italy
17. Czech Republic
18. Sweden
19. Mexico
20. Croatia
21. Lithuania
22. Slovakia
23. Slovenia
24. Oceania
25. Tonga  
26. Bulgaria
27. Ukraine
28. Greece
29. Luxembourg
30. Latvia

In addition to Italy, Poland, Spain, and Chile, Starlink is slowly entering other countries as well.

Starlink certainly requires at least 10,000 satellites in orbit before it starts boasting the entire proportion of the world. Musk has already stated that Starlink will start the worldwide service except at the North and South poles. As of 2023, services grew at a faster pace and will soon cover each corner of the globe.

Starlink Satellite Internet Equipment

If you want to set up Starlink at your home, you will get the following equipment to make it run at your home. The Starlink kit consists of the following equipment: Big big-sized dish, a tripod stand for the dish, a 100-foot connecting cable, a WiFi router, or a modem.

Once the Starlink kit will arrive at your home, you do not need to plug in the things. Everything has already been linked. There is no reference manual or directions. On a whiteboard, you will see a graphical installation tutorial. That is it.

Starlink Vs Viasat Vs HughesNet

Starlink's low orbiting satellites are going to kill off ViaSat and HughesNet. https://t.co/BZz0gGHrla

— Michael Ricks (@michaelricks) May 4, 2022

1. Starlink

• Speed: 50-500Mbps.

• Price:  $110.00–$500.00/month.

• Equipment Installation: $599.00–$2,500.00 one-time equipment fee; self-installation

• Data Cap: Unlimited.

• Availability: Limited.

2. Viasat

• Speed:  12–100 Mbps

• Price: $30.00–$169.99/month.

• Equipment Installation: $9.99/mo. Equipment lease; Free professional installation.

• Data Cap:  12–300 GB   

• Availability: Nation Wide.

3.  HughesNet

• Speed: 25 Mbps.

• Price: $64.99–$159.99/month.

• Equipment Installation: $14.99/mo. Equipment lease; Free professional installation.

• Data Cap: 15–75 GB.

• Availability: Nation Wide.

Is Starlink a Failure?

If you want to know about Starlink’s performance, let me tell you Starlink is not a failure. It is extending its wings worldwide. Starlink is on a mission to establish an interconnection with over thousands of satellites. Along with this, Starlink gives you high-speed internet.

What are the Disadvantages of Starlink?

The following are the disadvantages of Starlink:

• Availability: The vast reach of satellite Starlink internet is well-known. However, Starlink is still with just a small number of satellites released. Thus, Starlink has limited availability.

• Self-Installation: For many, self-installation of satellite Starlink is easy, while for others, Self-installation is a tiresome task.

• Lower speed than Cable: Although Starlink has a good internet speed. However, if we compare Cable and other fiber firms, Starlink has a lower speed.

• Weather Disruption: As you know, weather disruption is something that all satellite internet companies have in common. Weather is an innate major hurdle. While many Starlink customers report powerful signals under intense rainfall, there is always some effect and occasionally severe interruptions.

Is Starlink Good in Australia?

The Starlink speed is comparatively higher in most of the countries, as is the case with Australia. Starlink consumers in Australia experienced average download speeds of 138.12Mbps. Consumers reported an average upload speed of 22.63Mbps and a 42ms latency. It is also showing that remote regions have an enormous opportunity for coverage.

Is Starlink Better than NBN?

If we compare Starlink with NBN (Sky Muster), you get the following benefits from these satellite internet providers:

1. The price of Starlink is higher than NBN. Starlink allows you to pay $110 per month, while NBN allows you to pay $30 to $60 per month.
2. The download speed of Starlink is faster than NBN. The downloading speed of Starlink is 100-200Mbps, while NBN has a download speed of 12 to 25 Mbps.
3. The latency of Starlink is lower than NBN. The latency of the Starlink satellite is 20 to 40 milliseconds, while the latency of NBN is 600miliseconds.

Starlink Internet Reviews 2023

There’s nothing more credible than reviews of people who have actually used the product for months and then shared their experience. So here are some brutally honest Starlink reviews of 2023 to help you decide whether you should get Starlink or not.

“Not sure what is happening elsewhere, but here in rural Northern Arizona, my Starlink is rock solid. After almost 7 years of DSL and slow, inconsistent wireless, it’s been a dream come true.“ 

“Worse. Had my terminal since Nov 2020, and my performance has plummeted since Dec 2021. Congestion in evenings high latency and package loss.“

“The complaining is ridiculous. I’m in PNW, and Starlink has been freaking awesome.“

“Yeah, Starlink still rocks in northern MI too. I no longer hit spikes of 600mbps, but those were stupid anyway and very rare. I DO still hit spikes of 350. The speed swings during downloads between 80 and 270 or so mostly. So the average is around 150 to 200.“

“I’m in Northern MI too, lower peninsula at the tip of the pinky where it’s either Starlink (if you were lucky enough to get on board early) or a single cell tower. After years of paying AT&T hundreds of dollars a month for LTE data capped at 200GB, Starlink has been a huge improvement.“

“I’ve had it about a year. Seems like it has always been about the same. I’m not sure what bandwidth I’m getting. I don’t check it. If it’s degraded somehow or dropping out, I wouldn’t know it. I can stream TV all day and do remote work when I need to. Mission accomplished, as far as I’m concerned. shrug“

“It has gotten better for me, I average 250 Mbit down and about 10-20 Mbit up. Ping has been solid, and I game all day without hiccups!“

“Been a user since May 2021. Service is quite a bit better — buffer bloat has been improved quite a bit, and there are fewer outages. Speeds are about the same for me, but I don’t check too often. I work remotely and can do Google Meet / Teams / Slack / FaceTime with no problem. 4K streaming on Apple TV+ / Netflix works great.“

“So much worse…. latency and packet loss is crazy.. unusable nights and .weekends… after 1 year, it is now my backup since they finally upgraded a cell tower near me, and I get 5g….“

“I’m deep in the Atlanta suburbs, and it’s far more reliable than Comcast.“

“Slovakia, Europe here. Started out somewhat decent but was interrupted often. Now I get stable 150-250 Mbps, 40-70ms, good enough for casual online gaming and all the stuff I need. Speed sometimes still drops, but it only cuts out completely rarely, maybe once a day for a minute. In general, it’s getting better and better as more satellites are added, and it doesn’t degrade because we’re quite a poor country, and not many dishes are sold here.“

These were some of the Starlink internet reviews of this year. I took them from a Reddit thread. I hope they will give you some perspective. In a general opinion, it seems like Starlink has worked great for people in rural areas. Let’s hope it will get better in the future.

Comment below what’s your experience with Starlink, and we’re waiting for your responses.

Wrapping Up

So this was all about the satellite Starlink Review in 2023. I hope you find this article useful. Feel free to share the article with your friends. After all, the scope of the Starlink is growing at a larger scale.

We expect more growth and advancements in Starlink. Now, it is time for a wrap-up. Stay tuned for all the exciting updates. Have a great day!

Frequently Asked Questions