What Is Starlink? SpaceX’s Much-Hyped Satellite Internet Service Explained

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 just earned its first PCMag Readers’ Choice Award for top US ISPs.

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. If not, the company will tell you the approximate date when Starlink will arrive. Most users will probably have to wait months, if not longer; wait times have pushed into early 2023.

Starlink is currently serving over 400,000 users across the globe, but “hundreds of thousands” of people across the US have signed up in the hopes of trying it out, according to a February 2021 filing SpaceX submitted to the FCC.

Requests are also being handled on a first-come, first-served basis for each coverage area. So if your locality is already full of Starlink users, you’ll need to wait for coverage to improve. To reserve a spot, you can pre-order on Starlink’s website, which requires a refundable $99 deposit.

How Much Does It Cost?

After a price increase, Starlink currently costs $110 a month. 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 has also introduced a Premium Starlink service, which offers faster speeds and steadier connections. But it costs $500 a month, and another $2,500 one-time fee for the Premium Starlink dish. SpaceX seems to be mainly marketing the service to businesses.

In Europe and Latin America, however, Starlink recently reduced prices, sometimes up to 50%.

Can I Skip the Waitlist?

Yes, but you’ll need to settle for some compromises. In May 2022, the company introduced Starlink RV. It’s meant for users who like to take road trips in remote areas. But it has no waitlist, meaning anyone can order and SpaceX will ship you a unit immediately.

On the downside, Starlink RV costs $135 per month, an increase from $110. Users will also receive downgraded broadband if the surrounding area is already full of existing residential Starlink users. Expect download speeds as slow as 5Mbps in heavily congested areas.

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.  

How Fast Is Starlink? Is the Internet Consistent?

Starlink is currently delivering 50Mbps to 200Mbps in download speeds and about 30Mbps in upload speeds, according to users. Meanwhile, latency comes in at around 20 milliseconds, which is on par with ground-based internet. Over time, SpaceX plans on bumping up the download speeds to 300Mbps, 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 July 2022, number over 2,500 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?

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. 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 recently announced a “Best Effort” tier, which is rolling out for select pre-order customers who have been stuck waiting for the company to clear out its order backlog. The downside: Download speeds will range from 5Mbps to 100Mbps and you don’t get a price cut.

What About Congestion as More Users Join?

It does seem that Starlink’s massive growth can drag down speeds, depending on where you live. SpaceX has quietly admitted that some users are already 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. As a result, the dish can melt any ice around it. 

“I have not had any issues with it in the rain at all,” a user in Oregon told us. “The longest down time I have had is maybe one minute and then it came right back on. I am overly happy with the service so far.”

However, SpaceX still advises users to keep the dish clear of snow to ensure the signal quality isn’t disrupted. “Heavy rain or wind can also affect your satellite internet connection, potentially leading to slower speeds or a rare outage,” the company says in a FAQ. Below are the technical specs for the original Starlink dish and the recently launched second-generation dish, which began arriving in November 2021. As you can see, both dishes were designed to operate between -22 degrees Fahrenheit up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.

Where Is Starlink Available? 

You can view where Starlink coverage is offered by going to the company’s website. The same site 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? 

For now, SpaceX has largely avoided bringing Starlink to urban areas. There’s little reason for Starlink to try and compete against major ground-based internet service providers, which can offer high-speed internet plans at closer to $50 a month.

In addition, Musk pointed out the satellite technology would 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?

Brian Westover, PCMag’s Lead Analyst for Hardware, moved recently 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.

Can I Use My Starlink Dish at Another Location? What About on a Car?

Yes, you can. In May 2022, the company introduced a new portability option, which allows users to temporarily move their service to a new location. But the roaming option costs an extra $25 per month. 

As for cars, the company has received clearance from the FCC to operate Starlink on moving vehicles, including boats and airplanes. But SpaceX has yet to officially announce the “in-motion” capability for users.

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.”

But in France, the company is starting to test implementing high-speed data caps. “Users who consume 250 GB/month or less of data will be prioritized. Users who exceed 250 GB/month will still have access to unlimited data, but may experience slower speeds during times of network congestion,” SpaceX told customers.

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.

Disclosure: Ookla is owned by PCMag parent company, Ziff Davis.