Are you a current customer of SpaceX’s Starlink’s Satellite Broadband service? The company offers ultrafast broadband speeds via its mega constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites. It would appear that for existing UK customers, a new super cheap roaming plan has just been quietly added to its list of services. At just £8 per month, it’s certainly caught our attention.
Here’s a quick low down on Starlink Satellite Broadband
If you don’t know much about Starlink, here are some quick-look facts to get you up to speed with this service from SpaceX and their low earth orbit satellite broadband service:
Starlink consists of almost 7000 LEO satellites
Around 2,800 of these are v2 Mini / GEN 2A satellites
They orbit earth at an altitude between 500 and 600 km
By the end of 2027 they plan to have added thousands more to their constellation
UK customers typically pay £75+ per month for 30 days, plus £299 for hardware and £19 for postage (this is on the Standard unlimited data plan)
This package promises Latency times of 25-60ms, downloads of 25-100 Mbps and uploads of 5-10 Mbps
At the end of last year, Starlink had a global customer network of 4.6 million people (which had risen by 2.3 million from 2023). At the end of 2024, 87,000 of those customers were based in the UK (which had more than doubled from 2023 at 42,000). The majority of these UK customers can be found in rural areas.
What are the options when it comes to Roaming with Starlink satellite broadband?
Starlink currently has 2 Roaming plans on offer for new customers. These are:
ROAM 50GB – Best for infrequent and individual travel with low usage, for £50 per month
ROAM Unlimited – Best for RVers, campers, travelers, and working on the go, for £96 per month
Don’t forget you also need to pay between £299 and £399 for the hardware, plus an additional £19 shipping fee).
The service performance on ROAM can be more variable than what you might get on a residential service, but it does support:
Use in motion
International travel
The option to pause the service when not in use
New £8pm Roaming Plan for Existing Starlink Customers
Last week we heard whispers of a new £8 per month Roam service offering a 20GB usage allowance. Not the largest, however it would work well as a short-term back-up option.
Unfortunately, this new cheaper option only appears to be available to existing Starlink customers – It’s not showing online for new customers perusing the options on the Starlink website.
However if you are already an existing Starlink user, if you go to unpause an already paused service, it would seem you will be shown this new option for £8 per month. Exciting news for current customers! Especially when it comes to those who need a back-up option, those who live in rural areas, or are planning to travel.
What we would love to see next is this kind of tariff being offered on their Standard package for fixed locations. And, of course, we’d really like to see this £8 per month option become available to new Starlink customers too – Once they’ve purchased the hardware, of course. Watch this space!
February saw the publication of one of the latest studies from internet benchmarking company Ookla. Their popular Speedtest.net broadband and mobile connection testing service looked at the performance of Starlink’s LEO satellite broadband service, covering locations across Europe.
The good news is that out of all the countries tested, the UK delivers the best latency. The bad news is that download and upload speeds are poor here in the UK.
A quick low down on Starlink Satellite Broadband
Here’s some quick-look facts to get you up to speed with Starlink and their low earth orbit satellite broadband service:
Starlink consists of almost 7000 LEO satellites
Around 2,800 of these are v2 Mini / GEN 2A satellites
They orbit earth at an altitude between 500 and 600 km
By the end of 2027 they plan to have added thousands more to their constellation
UK customers typically pay £75+ per month for 30 days, plus £299 for hardware and £19 for postage (this is on the Standard unlimited data plan)
This package promises Latency times of 25-60ms, downloads of 25-100 Mbps and uploads of 5-10 Mbps
At the end of last year, Starlink had a global customer network of 4.6 million people (which had risen by 2.3 million from 2023). At the end of 2024, 87,000 of those customers were based in the UK (which had more than doubled from 2023 at 42,000). The majority of these UK customers can be found in rural areas.
As can sometimes be expected from newer technologies, the changeable nature of rising customer demand and ability to launch new satellites to keep pace with that demand has meant that Starlink has seen a slight decline in performance here in the UK.
This performance dip is also affected by differences in access to data capacity at local ground stations as well as regulatory access to the necessary radio spectrum bands which can vary from country to country.
How does Starlink performance compare across the UK and Europe?
This latest report from Ookla has taken data collected during the last quarter of 2024 and enables us to take a closer look into how Starlink is performing, providing a useful overview across the UK and Europe. You can read the report here.
The Good
The UK was top of the performance table when it came to latency, delivering the fastest server response times across Europe at 41ms. The slowest was Cyprus, with 144ms.
When it comes to latency, Starlink has continued to improve in general. Between the last quarter of 2023 and the last quarter in 2024, data showed a consistent trend of declining median latency across more than a dozen European countries. The UK, for example, saw a drop of 9ms (50ms down to 41ms) with similar improvements being seen in other countries.
The Not-So-Good
The UK could be found in the bottom half of the performance table for average median download speeds and upload speeds (87.06 Mbps and 12.78 Mbps respectively).
The fastest Starlink downloads were in Hungary and fastest uploads in Romania.
The Ookla report looking at data from Q4 2022 to Q4 2023 also stated that some of the steepest speed declines were seen in Central European countries when it came to median download speeds. Speeds fell by 31% in Germany (from 94.37Mbps to 65.44Mbps) closely followed by a 24% dip in Switzerland (going from 136.03Mbps to 103.88Mbps).
But it’s not all bad news!
It would seem, from the data seen in the final quarter of 2024, that there signs of successive speed declines starting to stabilise. Early indications suggest a potential recovery when it comes to download and upload speeds.
We’ll be interested to see whether this supposed trend continues to hold over the next few quarters to quarters, given the tendency for variability.
Starlink’s performance set to improve
The broadband and wireless network community expect Starlink performance to continue to improve, with the up-coming SpaceX Starship rocket. This will give them the ability to launch significantly higher numbers of satellites, including the next generation V3 GEN3 bigger satellites that will be able to handle 1Tbps of capacity. This in turn will help them meet the rising customer demand.
Watch this space.
With thanks to Ookla for the graph images and Starlink for the main blog image.
Over the last 7 months, the Starlink satellite broadband service from SpaceX has amassed a whopping total of 4.6 million users globally. The recent rapid growth of an additional 1.6 million users in less than a year serves as a significant milestone for the company which now encompasses 118 countries and territories across the world.
Why has Starlink seen such rapid growth recently?
Starlink reported 3 million satellite broadband users back in May 2024. In the 7 months since, the company has supported its growth by focusing on expanding its services, with the introduction of 27 new markets activating Starlink connectivity.
This was followed just a few months later with the launch of their mini dish and roaming service, also available here in the UK.
With new markets and growing connectivity to support, Starlink needed to ensure they have the infrastructure to support this connectivity. So they launched 89 new satellites into their ever-increasing constellation.
There are currently over 7000 active Starlink satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). These include 350 satellites that are designed to directly connect with LTE phones.
Their commitment to the necessary infrastructure means that Starlink can provide reliable, high-speed internet access even in some of the most remote, hard to reach areas.
What is Starlink planning next?
Next on the cards for Starlink is the SpaceX launch of its third generation (V3) Starlink satellites. These are due to be launched by SpaceX’s upcoming launch vehicle, Starship.
Each launch of a new V3 satellite is estimated to add 60 terabits (Tbps) of capacity to the Starlink network. This would significantly outpace the 3 Tbps capacity provided by SpaceX Falcon 9 launches.
Despite the Starship launch vehicle still undergoing tests in the development stages, it is widely expected to revolutionise satellite deployment. Starship will enable SpaceX to deploy more advanced satellites, providing a larger payload capacity. This in turn means a 10 fold increase in bandwidth and reduced latency for Starlink satellite broadband users.
Why does it matter about Starlink?
Through the growth of Starlink, especially the rapid growth we’ve seen recently over the past 7 months, we see the potential to reshape internet connectivity on a global scale. Starlink achieved cash-flow breakeven by the end of 2023, showing the world the increasing profitability of satellite broadband.
It is the belief of Gwynne Shotwell, COO at SpaceX, that the introduction of the new launch vehicle Starship will “position SpaceX as one of the world’s most valuable companies.”
Starlink appears to be going from strength to strength, providing a much needed digital bridge to those in remote, underserved locations and communities. Not only do they deliver a high-speed internet connection to those who otherwise struggle to access broadband, but they are also making it affordable.
The V3 satellites set to launch with the emergence of Starship will likely see Starlink become even more of a fundamental part of connectivity across the globe.
Fast Wi-Fi Hire for Events with Starlink via Geekabit
If you’re looking to hire Starlink Internet for your next event, we can provide a managed expert service.
Have you been let down before by traditional internet suppliers? Our expertly managed Wi-Fi hire service will allow you to have a fast, stable and speedy Wi-Fi network in areas that other suppliers have previously struggled.
Our Starlink event kit for Wi-Fi hire can be deployed very quickly for even the most last-minute of events, especially helpful in situations where you’ve been let down by another provider.
Our fleet of Starlink routers and dishes are available to support any event where resilient and fast internet needs to be deployed at short notice. If your event is being held in London, Hampshire, Sussex, Dorset or Wiltshire and you’re interested in reliable event internet then get in touch with our Wi-Fi experts today. You can find out more here.
Recent activity from Starlink hints at the prospect of delivering gigabit speeds to consumers. Starlink currently offers ultrafast broadband via a mega constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) across the globe. Recently filed statements to the FCC (a board that regulates interstate communication and broadcasting by radio, television, satellite, wire, and cable) have suggested their plan to offer gigabit speeds (1Gbps+) and how they’ll do it.
What is Starlink Satellite Broaband?
The Starlink network currently consists of 6,458 satellites in orbit, just over 2000 of which are v@ Mini / GEN 2A. Most of these are orbiting at an altitude of c.500-600km. Elon Musk is in the process of adding thousands more to this constellation by the end of 2027.
UK Starlink customers pay around £75 per month for 30 days, with the cost of hardware on the Starlink Standard plan on top costing £299 plus £20 postage.
The Standard plan from Starlink promises:
Latency times of 25-60ms
Download speeds of c. 25-100 Mbps
Upload speeds of c. 5-10 Mbps
How Many UK Customers Do Starlink Have?
By the end of last year, Starlink had 2.3 million customers worldwide, a figure currently at 4 million. There were 42,000 UK customers (up from 13,000 in 2022), most of which were in rural areas.
At the original commercial launch, Starlink originally aimed to deliver up to 1 Gbps speeds to their customers, with hopes to rise to 10 Gbps in the future. However, once launched, the service has often seen speeds around 200-300 Mbps, and with average performance being lower than that.
It would seem that the Starlink network is still a way off the 1 Gbps mark, with the average UK customer seeing download speeds of 90.7 Mbps. For the top 10% of fastest connections, this figure rises to 156.9 Mbps. Average upload speeds are 11.2 Mbps, rising to 16.4 Mbps for those in the top 10% fastest connections. However, this does mean that Starlink satellite broadband remains affordable.
Are gigabit speeds in Starlink’s future?
The capacity for gigabit speeds via Starlink satellite broadband lies in the ability to launch more of the larger, heavier fully sized next generation (v2 / v3) satellites.
In order to do this, Starlink need a rocket to handle commercial launches. Their new Starship rocket is currently still a work-in-progress but is nearing the point of completion.
The more progress Starlink makes, the closer we will get to seeing those gigabit speeds.
SpaceX recently made a request to the FCC which would allow them to update their second generation (v2) satellites, bringing them closer to earth. This would lower their altitude from circa 520km to circa 480km. This in turn would allow Starlink to use additional radio spectrum in the E band (71-74GHz downlink and 81-84GHz uplink).
These recent filings talk about how these changes would make it possible for Starlink to deliver gigabit speeds, low latency broadband and ubiquitous mobile connectivity to people around the globe who are lacking in adequate broadband.
This goal was reiterated by the VP of Starlink Engineering at SpaceX, who on the 13th October shared:
“The next generation @starlink satellite will launch on Starship and deliver gigabit connectivity anywhere in the world. We got one step closer to that reality today with an amazing Flight 5!”
It’s worth remembering that LEO satellites are becoming an increasingly competitive environment for broadband operators, and Starlink competitors may well try to block any requests made to the FCC.
We don’t know when gigabit speeds will become viable for UK Starlink customers. Whilst exciting steps forward are seemingly being made in the right direction by SpaceX Starlink, these things (as we’ve seen before) are complex, expensive and take time. But it would seem that Starlink firmly believes that gigabit and fibre-like speeds are on the horizon for their consumers.
If you live or work in a remote area in England, Scotland or Wales then you may unfortunately know all to well that many remote areas across the UK are left with slow internet speeds, causing a digital divide between rural and urban areas.
The UK Government aims to tackle this problem that 312,000 rural homes face, by investing £800 million in upgrading broadband infrastructure for those affected.
The Government’s digital strategy is to achieve full gigabit broadband coverage across the UK by 2030, of which this investment will be a part.
Rural Regions Struggle to Connect
The CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance, Elizabeth Anderson, has spoken about how millions across England, Scotland and Wales are still struggling to access even some of the basic online services due to poor connectivity. This is especially prevalent in rural areas. Anderson is pleased to see ‘the government’s renewed push to roll out improved broadband.”
Strong, reliable internet isn’t a luxury or a ‘nice to have’ commodity. In today’s digital world, broadband internet is a necessity and should and is considered to be an important utility, just like electricity and heating.
Anderson says, “Connectivity must be viewed as a core part of modern life in the digital age…, and continued investment such as this project is needed to ensure millions aren’t left digitally excluded.”
Gaps in coverage must be addressed so that rural communities have the same access to online services as those in urban areas. Nowadays, many essential services such as healthcare and education are moving online so having the necessary connectivity to reach these services is vital.
High-Speed Connections Must Be Affordable
Making sure rural properties have accessible high-speed internet connections isn’t the only hurdle that digital poverty work needs to tackle – It’s the cost too.
Once these connections to high speed broadband are made available to those in more remote areas of England, Scotland and Wales, the Government must also ensure that the monthly costs of having these connections are affordable.
We continue to be in a cost-of-living crisis, and it’s important that costs of high-speed internet doesn’t inhibit connecting people in rural areas.
Rural Areas Left Behind in Digital Revolution
It’s clear that harder to reach areas in rural are remote locations across England, Scotland and Wales have been somewhat left behind when it comes to digital revolution and the Government is aiming to rectify this.
The digital inequality between rural and urban areas is set to be reduced, ensuring that all parts of the country have access to and can benefit from high-speed internet access.
In some of these more remote regions, online access has been hindered by outdated infrastructure. In real terms, this means that residents in rural areas face difficulties when trying to perform the simplest of online tasks, for example, streaming video, taking video calls and downloading large files. Things many people in urban areas very much take for granted.
The Government’s initiative and investment will look at targeting these affected regions to bring them faster internet access.
We’ve already said how essential it is for communities to have access to fast broadband in today’s digital world, and these new upgrades will make sure that rural communities will gain access to faster, more reliable broadband.
Wales Set for Large-Scale Broadband Upgrade
This project has highlighted that Wales, for the first time, has the lowest percentage of gigabit coverage in the UK. Rural regions like the South Wales Valleys, Exmoor National Park and the Forest of Bowland are set to benefit from a large-scale broadband upgrade, with significant improvements reducing the digital poverty gap with more urbanised areas.
This will mean that millions more people will have access to affordable, fast broadband. Rural communities shouldn’t have to struggle with second-rate broadband infrastructure just because they don’t live in an urban area. They still need to access vital online services and require the digital infrastructure to do so. The good news is, the technology required to power fibre broadband, intelligent software and adapting demands by both residents and businesses is more affordable and accessible than before.
The Government has taken a good step forward with their digital strategy and £800m pledge, but we also need the telecoms industry to take some responsibility to help reduce the digital divide.
Thankfully, there is good motivation industry-wide for committing to the efficient deployment of networks in rural areas.
The crux of the matter is, as a nation we need higher bandwidth to keep up with what work and education expects of us from home and in the office. This needs to be widely available across both rural and urban areas, as well as being affordable for all.
We have high hopes that combining industry collaboration with government funding and digital strategy will provide great outcomes for rural connectivity across England, Scotland and Wales.
Geekabit Can Help with Rural Connectivity
It’s fantastic that better, faster broadband connectivity is on the way for rural residents and businesses. But what about those of you who need a strong, reliable, fast internet connection now?
There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to get online and constantly find that you’re dropping out or buffering.
Our team of Wi-Fi engineers here at Geekabit have various options when it comes to rural connectivity. We’ve helped countless clients connect their remote, rural business premises to more reliable internet via Starlink satellite broadband and mobile broadband options.
If you are interested in how our Starlink and 4G installation services could help your business, please do get in touch with our friendly team today. We cover Wales out of our Cardiff base, the South Coast of England from our Winchester base and of course London.
4G mobile broadband or Starlink satellite internet could be just the alternative to fibre that your business needs.
Launch of Starlink Mini Dish and Mini Roam Service is a Go for the UK
We recently wrote about the launch of Starlink’s new Mini Dish and Mini Roam service – You can read all about it here. At time of publishing it wasn’t yet available in the UK and we were eagerly awaiting an email to say the service was ready for the UK to test.
And that time has arrived! If you were an early adopter of the ultrafast, low-latency Starlink broadband service from SpaceX then you may have already received an email inviting you to be part of the testing phase of Starlink’s new Mini Dish hardware terminal as well as their Mini Roaming service add-on.
The ultrafast and low-latency Starlink broadband service from Space X have now launched their new Wi-Fi (only 802.11ac / Wi-Fi 5) integrated Mini Dish (terminal) hardware and Mini Roaming service add-on here in the UK. The downside is that it’s a little more expensive than its USA counterpart.
Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, here is a quick recap on Starlink’s satellite broadband offering.
What is Starlink Satellite Broadband and how does it work?
SpaceX Starlink currently has 6,171 LEO satellites in orbit around the Earth at an altitude of circa 550km. By the end of 2027 they will have added thousands more.
Prices for UK residential customers generally start at £75 per month, plus Standard Plan hardware at a cost of £299. For these prices, the operator promises the following speeds:
Download – 25-100Mbps
Uploads – 5-10Mbps
Latency – 25-60ms
By the end of last year, there were 42,000 Starlink customers in the UK (out of 2.3 million worldwide). This UK figure had almost quadrupled from the 13,000 UK customers in the previous year.
Most UK Starlink customers can be found in more rural, remote areas. Those in the most remote areas (think oceans, small islands and places like Antarctica) will have the highest latency.
New Mini Dish Launched in the USA
Back in June across the pond in the US, Starlink invited some of their early adopters to purchase their new Mini Kit (Dish) for $599, which could also come bundled with a new Mini Roam service – for an additional cost of $30 per month.
In the interest of clarity, these prices are in additional to the existing subscription for residential Starlink broadband.
The add on of the Mini Roam service gave customers the option of having 50 GB of ‘mobile data’ that they are able to use anywhere in the country. After that 50 GB, they are charged $1 per GB (approximately 81 pence).
Starlink Launch Mini Dish and Mini Roam Service in UK
The 1st of August saw the first emails landing in UK Starlink customer’s inboxes, offering this same above service for those in the UK.
The emails laid out the cost of the new kit (£399) as well as the roaming service which comes in at an extra £50 per month – Rather more expensive than in the US.
For those of you that are not Starlink customer’s but are desperate to see what’s on offer, here’s a copy of the email:
Starlink Mini Now Available
Starlink Mini is a compact, portable kit that can easily fit in a backpack, designed to provide high-speed, low-latency internet on the go.
Starlink Mini includes a built-in WiFi router, lower power consumption, DC power input, and max download speeds over 100 Mbps*. See Starlink Mini specifications here.
The Starlink Mini Kit can be purchased for £399 with either the Mini Roam 50GB service plan for £50/mo or the unlimited Mobile Regional plan for £85/mo. Learn more on starlink.com/roam.
Available Service Plans
Mini Roam 50GB | £50/mo Best for weekend travelers, backup internet, and in-motion use
Includes 50GB of Mobile data (£1/GB for additional data), coverage throughout Europe, and in-motion use on land. See our Terms of Service regarding in-motion use.
Mobile Regional | £85/mo Best for caravans, motorhomes, campers, and travelers throughout a continent
Includes unlimited Mobile data on land and coverage throughout Europe. Ocean and global travel available for an additional £1.98/GB.
Just to recap. The new dish – sized 298.5mm x 259mm x 38.5mm – is 63% lighter than the standard Starlink dish, has an operating temperature range of -30°C to 50°C (-22°F to 122°F), draws around 25-40 Watts on average and can run directly off 12-48V DC (it comes with a small 110V power supply with 15 metres of cable).
The kit is also IP67 Type 4 rated with their DC Power Cable and Starlink Plug/Cable installed (using the Ethernet port drops this rating). The dish has a Field of View (FoV) of 110 degrees (slightly better than ‘Standard’) and a single Ethernet (LAN) port.
What do you think of Starlink’s latest offering?
The possibility of using Starlink satellite broadband to roam here in the UK is undoubtedly an exciting development in the world of tech.
We’re hoping to see a reduction in price as the service evolves, but we’ll have to wait and see on that one.
Could Starlink Satellite Broadband Help You or Your Business?
If you’re interested in whether Starlink satellite broadband could provide your rural business or outdoor event with more reliable internet than the connection you’re currently on then get in touch with our friendly team today.
Our Wi-Fi expert engineers are on hand to identify whether Starlink satellite broadband could be the right solution for you.
Network providers are constantly striving to improve performance to their service and Starlink engineering teams are no different. Starlink’s focus and goal is to deliver a service where the median latency is a stable 20ms with minimal packet loss.
With customers and users across the globe, Starlink has managed to meaningfully reduce the median and worst-case latency over the past month. As an example, users in the US benefited from a reduction of 30% in median latency, taking it from 48.5ms to 22ms during peak times. Worst-case latency during peak times also dropped, this time by 60% from over 150ms to less than 65ms.
Customers outside of the US have also enjoyed reduced median latency by up to 25% and worst-case latency by up to 35%.
What is Latency?
Already we’ve talked a lot about latency – That’s what this article is about! Here’s a brief explanation of what latency actually is.
Latency is generally measured in milliseconds, and refers to the amount of time it takes for a packet to be sent from your Starlink router to the internet and for the response to be received. This can also be referred to as RTT or “round-trip time.”
For someone’s perceived experience of using the internet, latency is one of the most important factors. It can significantly affect things like:
The speed in which web pages load
How ‘real life’ audio and video calls feel
Responsiveness of online gaming
If you’re wondering actually how important latency is when it comes a user experience of using the internet, here’s an example. During testing, increasing the bandwidth beyond 10 Mbps didn’t increase the speed of which a web-page loaded, yet those that reduced latency saw much quicker load times.
How Does Starlink Measure Latency?
Starlink’s latency is measured by collecting anonymous measurements from millions of Starlink routers. This measurement is taken every 15 seconds. The median and worst-case latencies are then calculated by taking the average of these 15 second latency measurements.
Median Latency
The median (50th percentile or p50) refers to the point where half of the latency measurements are below that number and the other half are above.
Worst-Case Latency
The worst-case latency, or 99th percentile, is defined as the place where 99% of measurements are better than a certain point.
When Are These Measurements Taken?
Measurements are taken from all points in time so all data can be analysed, but Starlink do specifically look at how they are performing during peak times (between 6pm and 9pm). This is when most people are using a Starlink connection and the network is under the most load.
What Affects Latency When Using a Starlink Connection?
There are a few factors that can affect latency in any network. For Starlink, the biggest things affecting latency are:
Physical speed-of-light propagation from the user to the satellite and back to the ground.
This goes back to the RTT (round trip time) we referred to earlier. Each part of the trip (there and then back) takes about 1.8 to 3.6 ms, with a total RTT of under 10 ms (usually).
If traffic flows over laser links instead of directly to the ground, higher incidences of latency could occur. This would be as a result of congestion mitigation, lack of satellite to ground paths, and other factors.
Laser connectivity is actually essential for connecting the most remote locations on Earth as well as for routing around congestion in the network. Starlink are however striving to make sure that latency sensitive traffic can flow over the shortest path possible.
Ground latency from the gateway sites to the internet connection point driven by ground network layout.
During 2024 the US will see the introduction of PoPs or Points of Presence, where Starlink has added 6 internet connect locations. They are optimising gateway locations and planning algorithms to ensure that traffic can land as close to its destination point as possible.
Starlink continue to ensure that users are allocated to optimal internet connection locations, so that all users get the lowest latency possible route to the internet.
Fronthaul (the radio links between the satellite and user) scheduling latency driven by the network topology and the number of users served by a given beam from a satellite.
Over the past few months, Starlink’s major focus has been on optimising fronthaul scheduling latency, even though this is an inherent part of shared wireless systems.
Non-physical limitations in the system.
This would include unneeded processing delays, unoptimised buffers, or unnecessary packet drops that force retries.
Buffers across the Starlink network have been right sized to reduce bufferbloat, and queueing algorithms have been improved to increase capacity on their gateway links from the ground to satellites.
Starlink Wi-Fi latency has been improved, with the addition of active queue management (fq_codel) to the Starlink Wi-Fi router. What does this mean in real life? Well, with active queue management enabled, if one person on your Wi-Fi is downloading a big file, and another is playing a game, the queue management will make sure that game latency will not be affected by the download.
How Are Starlink Striving to Reach the Goal of 20ms Latency?
Starlink has been monitoring and gaining metrics across the network to measure latency on every subsystem down to the microsecond over the past few months. They have rigorously tuned their algorithms to prefer paths with lower latency, no matter how small the difference and to remove any and all sources of unnecessary and non-physical latency.
This is just a selection of some of the most impactful changes Starlink has made and continues to make.
Since the beginning of the year, teams have deployed and tested 193 different satellite software builds, 75 gateway software builds, 222 Starlink software builds, and 57 Wi-Fi software builds.
Over 2.6 million people around the world have chosen Starlink as their internet provider via satellite broadband. These customers can expect latency to continue to improve over the coming weeks and months as Starlink prioritises software changes, builds additional ground infrastructure, and launches more satellites.
Future updates from Starlink are expected to include performance stats and more network goals as they work to improve the user experience.
How Can I Check Starlink Latency For My Location?
Be sure to check the latest latency statistics for your region at starlink.com/map.
Is Starlink Fast Enough to Hire for Events?
Absolutely! Here at Geekabit, we are delighted to be able to offer fast, reliable Wi-Fi via Starlink for a range of events and purposes across London and parts of the South of England.
We’ve diligently tested what we can offer via Starlink when it comes to temporary Wi-Fi for outdoor events. Some of our test events included supporting policing events in London, hybrid meetings, rural wedding fairs and a busy city fireworks fundraising event.
For more information on our Starlink hire service, please visit our blog. Fast Wi-Fi hire is available for events with Starlink hire from Geekabit. Feel free to contact us to find out more.
Were you an early adopter of the ultrafast, low-latency Starlink broadband service from SpaceX? Then you may soon be invited to be part of the testing phase of Starlink’s new Mini Dish hardware terminal as well as their Mini Roaming service add-on.
Quick Recap on Starlink Satellite Broadband Service
SpaceX Starlink currently has 6,171 LEO satellites in orbit around the Earth at an altitude of circa 550km. By the end of 2027 they will have added thousands more.
Prices for UK customers generally start at £75 per month, plus Standard Plan hardware at a cost of £399. For these prices, the operator promises the following speeds:
Download – 25-100Mbps
Uploads – 5-10Mbps
Latency – 25-60ms
By the end of last year, there were 42,000 Starlink customers in the UK (out of 2.3 million worldwide). This UK figure had almost quadrupled from the 13,000 UK customers in the previous year.
Most UK Starlink customers can be found in more rural, remote areas. Those in the most remote areas (think oceans, small islands and places like Antarctica) will have the highest latency.
Starlink Launch New Mini Dish and Mini Roam Service
Early adopters in the US have already been offered to purchase the new Mini Kit (Dish), with UK availability due to follow soon.
This new Mini Dish is not only smaller (298.5mm x 259mm x 38.5mm) but also 63% lighter than the standard dish from Starlink. Other specifications include:
Operating temperature range – -30°C to 50°C
Draws around 25-40 Watts on average
Can run directly off 12-48V DC ( the dish comes with a 110V power supply with 15m of cable)
Field of view (FoV) is 110 degrees, which is a bit better than the Standard dish
Has a single Ethernet (LAN) port
Can only be used whilst stationary (although a moving service may come later, likely for an additional cost)
The built-in Wi-Fi is only dual-band (3×3) 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) instead of Wi-Fi 6
Currently in the USA, customers who use the new Mini Roam service that accompanies the new Mini Dish will have 50GB of ‘mobile’ data’ that they can use anywhere. Customers who use more than that will be charged $1 per GB.
How much does the new Mini Dish from Starlink cost?
The new Mini Kit (Dish) costs $599 (that’s £473 for us Brits) which is offered as part of a bundle with their new Mini Roam service for an extra $30 per month (which will be an additional £24 per month in the UK).
Whilst this cost would be on top of the subscription you already pay, at the least the price of the hardware is expected to decrease in the future.
What do SpaceX have to say about their new Mini Dish and Mini Roaming service?
As a customer of SpaceX Starlink satellite broadband, you may have received or soon be receiving an email stating the following:
“Starlink Mini is a compact, portable kit that can easily fit in a backpack, designed to provide high-speed, low-latency internet on the go. Starlink Mini includes a built-in WiFi router, lower power consumption, DC power input, and max download speeds over 100Mbps.”
“Our goal is to reduce the price of Starlink, especially for those around the world where connectivity has been unaffordable or completely unavailable. But in regions with high usage, where Starlink Mini places additional demand on the satellite network, we are offering a limited number of the Starlink Mini Kits to start for $599.”
You can find the specifications for the Starlink Mini Dish on their website here and the set up guide here.
When will the UK get Starlink’s new Mini Dish and Mini Roaming service?
In the US, the initial deliveries of the Mini Dish kit are due to start in July 2024. Remember – This is currently still a bit of a trial product so we don’t yet know when this will be coming to the UK and how much the new Mini Dish kit will cost over here.
But we’ll be watching this space!
If you’re interested in whether Starlink satellite broadband could provide your rural business or outdoor event with more reliable internet than the connection you’re currently on then get in touch with our friendly team today. Our Wi-Fi expert engineers are on hand to identify whether Starlink satellite broadband could be the right solution for you.
What a time to be alive! Right above our heads, there’s a space race taking place in the skies between LEO satellite broadband providers Starlink and OneWeb.
Making space-based connectivity a reality, these 2 private satellite-broadband companies are building worldwide networks to provide global satellite internet coverage through LEO satellites.
You might think that they are direct competitors, but actually whilst Starlink and OneWeb are similar in many ways, they also significantly differ as well.
So let’s take a look at how 2 of the most innovative companies of our generation compare when it comes to LEO satellite broadband.
What is Starlink?
Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, Elon Musk’s space exploration company SpaceX has a division called Starlink. Starlink consists of a constellation of 6,078 Low Earth Orbit satellites that circle the Earth, aiming to make connectivity possible from anywhere for the average person.
2019 saw Starlink beginning to launch their first satellites, with their satellite broadband service now offering internet access to more than 30 countries.
What is OneWeb?
Founded in 2012 and with investors consisting of the UK government, the Indian telecom firm Bharti Global and Japanese investment group Softbank group, OneWeb is a UK-based broadband satellite organisation that is rapidly expanding connectivity across the globe. CEO Neil Masterson says OneWeb is striving to “provide fibre where there’s no fibre.”
How does Starlink compare to OneWeb?
Let’s take a closer look at the goals, technical specifications, constellations, performance and support of these satellite internet providers.
Business Goals
Whilst to some, Starlink and OneWeb may be considered “rivals”, they are actually more like peers. In fact, SpaceX have even assisted OneWeb by launching 40 OneWeb satellites into orbit using SpaceX rockets.
You may think this is odd, but actually they don’tsee themselves as direct competitors. They have differing business goals and objectives as well as target customers.
Starlink Business Goal
The business mission behind Starlink’s is to provide high-speed internet access to everyone. While that can and does include businesses, the primary aim for Starlink’s is to help residential customers. Especially those based in rural locations where the land-based infrastructure is lacking and connectivity is difficult. Of course, this applies to rural businesses as well.
OneWeb Business Goal
Whilst the business objective of OneWeb is similar, this UK-based company strives to supply high-speed internet to businesses across the globe (rather than residential customers) thus improving IoT. Consumers accessing OneWeb satellite broadband will do so through a secondary business.
Technical Specifications
We can’t host a Starlink vs OneWeb article without looking at the tech specs now can we?
Constellations
First let’s look at the constellations themselves. As we’ve already mentioned, both Starlink and OneWeb’s satellites are in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) – But interestingly they’re not anywhere near each other. Starlink satellites can be found at 550km/340mi from Earth, whereas OneWeb satellites orbit the planet at 1,200km/746mi from Earth.
Starlink has a current fleet of 6,078 satellites in their constellation. They plan to have 7,500 by the end of 2027. OneWeb currently has 648 satellites in their LEO constellation. Although this is the number required for global coverage, they hope to expand to 7,000 satellites in the future.
Whilst Starlink’s fleet might seem more impressive, let’s remember that both Starlink and OneWeb have different objectives and timelines – And both are currently on track to change connectivity through their satellite broadband offerings.
Latency
In simple terms, broadband satellites work by sending and receiving data from Earth. Latency is the time it takes for data to travel back and forth.
Starlink purport to offer a maximum latency of 20 to 40 milliseconds, with field testing finding an average of approximately 40 to 50 milliseconds. This is slightly lower latency than OneWeb, who promise latency of under 100 milliseconds.
Legacy broadband satellites generally have a latency of around 600 milliseconds or more, so both Starlink and OneWeb offer a significant improvement to the previous technology available.
Bandwidth
Starlink and OneWeb both offer substantial bandwidth but each with distinctive features.
Starlink Bandwidth
According to Starlink’s website, Starlink users can generally enjoy download speeds ranging from 25 to 220 Mbps. The majority of customers experience download speeds of over 100 Mbps. Upload speeds are usually found to be within 5 to 20 Mbps.
OneWeb Bandwidth
For those who have critical applications that require a certain bandwidth, OneWeb offers the option to purchase Committed Information Rate (CIR), which ensures a dedicated bandwidth for those applications that are business critical.
OneWeb users can also choose the location of their ground station, allowing the routing of traffic to a specific area.
As part of a demonstration prepared for the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA), the company conducted a Proof of Concept (PoC) test, establishing connectivity with its LEO constellation.
A recent Proof of Concept test for the NCIA saw OneWeb achieve seamless streaming of 4K video feeds and simultaneous operation of various applications, including Microsoft Teams, Twitch, and Google Earth. It also saw download speeds of 195Mbps, upload speeds of 32 Mbps and latency as low as 70 milliseconds. A pretty impressive result.
Reliability
Let’s remember that Starlink and OneWeb both have slightly different business goals, so looking at the reliability of each in critical scenarios will shine a light on the different user needs and thus the suitability of each.
Starlink has shown that it offers a highly reliable internet service, especially for users living in remote areas. It has been praised by reviewers worldwide for its high download and upload speeds. It has also shown itself to be a viable option for those where more traditional connectivity options are not available or reliable.
Whilst it has been reported that there are the occasional hiccups (as with all internet provisions, let’s be honest) and its suitability questioned for critical situations and disasters like fires, in ‘normal’ day to day residential life, it performs well and provides reliable broadband where services were previously unavailable.
For larger scale businesses that require a consistent and trustworthy internet experience for critical operations, OneWeb is committed to meet the demand.
It would appear that OneWeb can provide a dependable internet solution in difficult geographical landscapes where ordinary broadband wouldn’t be an option. Business users in hard to reach, remote locations can experience robust and consistent internet connections with OneWeb. Compared to terrestrial networks, OneWeb offers heightened reliability without susceptibility to weather-related disruptions.
Customer Support
If you’ve ever needed to speak to someone about an internet-related problem, then you’ll know how important good customer support is. This is no different in the satellite internet industry.
Starlink’s Customer Support System
The customer support system from Starlink relies exclusively on email support, which could present some problems when trying to provide real-time assistance to users.
OneWeb’s Support System
OneWeb offers an accessible and robust troubleshooting service with 24/7 customer support via telephone assistance.
Starlink vs OneWeb – Quick Recap
As we’ve seen above, the performance, bandwidth, reliability, support systems, and target customer do vary between OneWeb and Starlink. Having an understanding of these differences can help users to identify which reliable, high-performance satellite internet solution would be best for their needs.
Starlink
OneWeb
Number of Satellites
6,078
648
Bandwidth
Majority of users enjoy download speeds of 100 Mbps, ranging up to 220 Mbps
Download speeds up to 150 Mbps
Reliability
Reliable internet service, occasional hiccups reported
Consistent and trustworthy in challenging landscapes
Latency
Advertised: 20-40 ms, Field tests: 40-50 ms (Slightly better than OneWeb)
Sub-100 millisecond latency
Support System
Email support
24/7 phone support
Consumer Base Dynamics
Consumer-oriented, focusing on residential users in rural areas
Business-focused with an emphasis on IoT
Starlink Satellite Broadband with Geekabit
For many UK SME’s who operate in more rural areas, Starlink satellite broadband can offer reliable internet where more traditional methods of connectivity are not an option. If you would like to speak to one of our Wi-Fi experts about whether Starlink satellite broadband could work for your business, then get in touch with our friendly team today.
Starlink satellite broadband can also provide the ideal solution for outdoor events like festivals, shows and charity events – Especially if you have food and beverage vendors trying to take mobile payments! Here at Geekabit, we offer a Starlink broadband hired service – Find out more here.
Having provided Starlink satellite broadband for a variety of different customers and clients – From large scale charity events to rural businesses and remote residential properties – We’ve seen first hand how Starlink internet is a game changer for people who aren’t able to get a reliable connection from mobile Wi-Fi or fibre broadband.
Business Starlink vs. Residential Starlink
Did you know that Starlink offers both a Residential and Business internet service? If you’re wondering how they differ from one another and whether it’s worth going for the Business service, then you’re in the right place!
Is Bigger Better? Let’s Talk Differences in Dish Size
The dish used for Starlink Business internet services is physically bigger than the Residential package dish. There are big benefits of using the Starlink Business antenna with more elements for better performance:
More powerful signals can be sent and received
They perform better in all weather conditions and are more durable
Improved performance through better quality connections and lower latency
When more satellites are in the sky, they offer a higher bandwidth
In terms of numbers, the business antenna offers a 140 degrees view, compared to the 110 degrees from the Residential antenna. This increases the service availability by 4 times compared to before.
GPS functionality is also enhanced as well as improving the visibility of the satellite by about 35%.
Starlink uses a beam-forming technique for their high-performance dishes, which creates a cone of connectivity to satellites. During satellite transitions, there can be ‘mini outages’ but with the bigger dishes these occur less and are less disruptive due to the upgraded business antenna elements offering faster processing.
Starlink Business dishes are highly durable with IP56 protection, meaning they can withstand strong jets of water. This is in comparison to the Residential antennas which have IP54 protection which protects them against just splashes.
What does this mean in real terms? Basically, Starlink Business dishes perform better in extreme weather. Not only does the upgraded heat management system mean that it can offer speeds 3 times faster when temperatures exceed 35 degrees, but the Starlink Business antenna also melts snow 1.7 times faster.
Get Priority Bandwidth with Starlink Business
Many home users can get everything they need from a Starlink Residential package, but if you need power then Starlink Business could be the better choice. One big plus of Starlink Business is that you are given higher priority traffic than those on Residential plans.
We mentioned earlier that the higher performing dish on the Starlink Business service has 35% more visibility – Basically the ability to view 35% more of the sky. This means it can connect to more satellites and maintain those connections better.
What speeds can you get on Starlink Business compared to Residential?
Starlink Business:
Download speeds – 100-350mbps
Upload speeds – 10-50 mbps
Lower latency
Starlink Residential:
Download – Up to 100 mbps
Starlink Connectivity for Extreme Environments
If your business needs hardware to keep you connected in extreme weather environments (e.g. high humidity, high/low temperatures, heavy snowfall) then the high performance Starlink Business dish is unlikely to let you down.
For businesses, having 24/7 bandwidth to support business operations is imperative. The service from Starlink Business can offer more stability, faster connections and fewer dropouts.
Connectivity via Venn and Starlink
The great thing about Starlink Business is that it can benefit organisations big or small. Through a high performance dish, upgrading to Starlink Business could bring your organisation:
A better quality connection
Lower latency
Improved performance
Starlink hardware can be combined for organisations who need to cover large, critical sites for multiple and many users needing high availability.
Venn Telecom has partnered with Starlink, enabling the connection of multiple high-performance Starlink antennas and simultaneous connections to various 5G networks. This enhances reliability and speed even further.
Starlink Satellite Broadband with Geekabit
If you’re considering Starlink satellite broadband as an alternative way to connect to the internet – For a business or event – Then get in touch with our Wi-Fi expert today. We’ve seen the difference Starlink can make for those in remote or rural areas.
