Starlink Average Speeds Are 80% Faster Than Existing Broadband Services [REPORT]

Mark B., Tech Times 22 January 2021, 09:01 pm

Elon Musk's upcoming Internet service offering, Starlink, reports an average speed of 103.1 Mbps - 80% faster than the national average Internet speeds!

A recent report from the online reviewing portal REVIEWS.org conducted a study about how Americans think about Starlink. Noting that the SpaceX-provided Internet service is still in its beta phase, the product reviewers reported that Elon Musk's recent project has recently won close to $900 million in subsidies from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to provide connectivity to rural areas.

How do Americans Feel About Switching to Starlink?

As the new internet provider is projected to start at $99 per month, it presents a higher monthly cost upfront than the average costs Americans pay for the Internet. However, REVIEWS.org noted that the upcoming service is cheaper for every Mbps, given the average speeds it delivers. The average Internet speed in the United States is around 57.2 Mbps, with an average monthly cost of $65. This boils down to a cost of $1.13 per Mbps for existing services and only $0.96 per Mbps for the Elon Musk-led provider.

Furthermore, based on the REVIEWS.org survey, about half - or around 51 percent of Americans say that they plan to sign up for Starlink service once the provider's beta phase becomes available in their areas. While only five percent of Americans are currently subscribed to satellite Internet services, the report revealed that 64 percent of their respondents claim to be willing to switch to satellite Internet once Starlink starts its rollout.

With regard to the cost, more than 55 percent of Americans intend to switch to Starlink internet despite arriving at a higher cost, provided that the upcoming Internet service provider delivers faster Internet for their household.

When asked what factors would help in their decision to make the switch, the top three considerations include (1) high-quality streaming, (2) high-fidelity video calls, and (3) online gaming performance.

Best Satellite Internet Providers 2021

REVIEWS.org also recently released its review for the best satellite Internet providers, examining Viasat and HughesNet - at least until Starlink actively joins the satellite Internet race.

The site focused on the two providers explains that some of the old players have already discontinued service or have already been bought by other competitors.

To sum up the comparative review, REVIEWS.org claimed that Viasat delivers more in terms of connection speeds while HughesNet takes the lead in terms of cost. Viasat services range from $30 to $150 per month, at download speeds of 12 to 100 Mbps. On the other hand, HughesNet offers plans from $59.99 to $149.99, with an average download speed of 25Mbps.

The report also clarifies that at present, "Satellite internet is nowhere near as good as DSL, cable, or fiber internet." Before subscribers sign up for satellite internet services, the online reviewer suggests checking first whether non-satellite internet service providers are available in their respective areas. They have recommendations for the best rural internet providers.