Starlink internet speed: Does Starlink offer fast enough service?

Starlink promises to revolutionize rural internet access by giving its users the kind of performance they’d typically only get from terrestrial sources like cable or fiber. This is a massive jump up from conventional satellite systems, but it’s also new tech, and that means it’s constantly evolving.

So what kind of Starlink internet speed results can you expect, and is Starlink true to its promises? Let’s take a closer look.

What kind of speed and latency can you expect from Starlink?

Starlink, like most ISPs, tends to be pretty vague with its promises. Early on, it gave ranges such as “100-220Mbps”. Most of Starlink’s official material now says “Up to 300Mbps” for downloads. Similarly, it promises “Up to 10Mbps” for upload speeds.

Is Starlink Internet speed true to its promise?

So does the expected Starlink internet speed match with reality? Yes, and no.

Starlink’s ambitious plans include coverage across almost every inch of our planet through a constellation of satellites. As these satellite cells fill up, speeds are going to vary from region to region. If you live in an area with no waitlists, you’re likely going to see speeds that are much more in line with the promised literature from the company.

Talking with a few online friends that have it in an area without waitlists, speeds of 160-300Mbps download and 8-15Mbps upload are typical though it can still fall a bit below that during peak hours. Latency will also stay pretty close to the 25-50ms mark. But what about those waitlisted areas? That’s where things get harder to predict.

Thankfully, I have access to a Starlink Residential plan in an area that is currently waitlisted. Running a few speed tests at different times of the day over the last week, I found that the average speed during non-peak hours was 100-150Mbps in my region. It would sometimes hit that sweet 200-300Mbps range, but it wasn’t often.

As for peak hours? Things fall down more to a 50-120Mbps range during busier hours, like the early evening. Regardless of the hour, my upload speeds were typically in the 6-12Mbps range. Latency was a bit more of a mixed bag, though typically, I’d get pings around 25-65ms.

Of course, that’s just with Starlink Residential. Plans like Mobility and Business get better prioritization, so expect results that are a bit above Residential. As for those with Starlink Roam? This is listed as a best-effort service and sees the worst prioritization. While I have access to Residential via my sister, I use Starlink Roam as my area is currently waitlisted. As you can imagine, I see a lot less speed consistency.

Because Starlink Roam can be used just about anywhere, its speeds are going to vary. For me, in my waitlisted cell, I tend to get download speeds of around 20-80Mbps during most of the day. My upload speeds are much more consistent, usually around 3-9Mbps. Meanwhile, pings are usually around 25-65ms. It can really vary.

At the end of the day, no Starlink doesn’t match its promised speeds for most users. As it adds more users, there will be slowdowns. Thankfully the company is also constantly adding more satellites. This is truly meant for those that don’t have better options. For someone like me, the downsides don’t matter that much.

I’ve had Starlink Roam for an entire year. In that time, it’s had bad days, but it has consistently been very usable. Even during the worst busy periods, I tend to get at least 10Mbps. Previously I had Hughesnet, which promised 25Mbps speeds. In reality, the high pings made the speed kind of irrelevant. With Starlink, I rarely have major issues with streaming or anything. And when I do, I just remember that it’s still a dozen times better than what I used to get with Hughes or (spotty) LTE coverage.

Can you game on Starlink?

If you want to online game, you’ll typically need a ping of at least 149ms or lower. This will still have moments of lag but will be playable-ish. Really though, you’ll want a ping of 50ms or lower for the best results. In most cases, Starlink more than matches this. My pings often are in the 25-50ms range. Even when it gets higher, I’ve never seen much worse than 100ms.

So yes, Starlink is capable of gaming. Just be aware that your actual results might be a little less impressive during peak hours. Still, traditional satellite service isn’t capable of online gaming. That makes this a pretty significant win for Starlink.

Starlink vs competition

We’ve already mentioned Starlinks speeds might not be as impressive as cable or fiber networks. Those aren’t really who Starlink is meant to compete against. Starlink is for those who only have fixed wireless, satellite, or slower DSL options. In most instances, Starlink is going to provide faster speeds and much better pings.

To learn more, be sure to check out our guide to the best satellite internet providers as well as our guide to fixed wireless options. Also be sure to check out our guide to Starlink plans and costs.