Starlink, SpaceX's satellite internet constellation, has made massive strides since its initial launch in 2019. A total of 12,000 satellites is intended to reach orbit, with a potential addition of 30,000 later into its existence, but as of yet, the service has a total of 4,023 Starlink nodes, 3,988 of which are operational, making it the single largest satellite operator in the world. Despite its reach, popular reviews haven't exactly been positive.
One review out of Tom's Guide notes that Starlink has both a "Sporadic connection" and a "High monthly fee," while Forbes highlights its unavailability in most rural spots and a pricey $599 to $2,500 hardware buy-in. Beyond its faults, however, Elon Musk's ISP is one that has seen massive growth over the past several years, most notably in its acquisition of 1.5 million users as of May 5, 2023.
SpaceX's @Starlink is seeing hyper growth, adding over ~3,600 new customers per day.
Customer total now stands at 1.5 million per SpaceX. pic.twitter.com/WLTN7l2rz4— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) May 6, 2023
How do these subscribers feel about the ISP's overall service? Ookla, a data research firm, set out to ask this very question, relaying in a recently published paper how Starlink users in both metro and nonmetro counties in the US generally appreciate the service. The data tracks Starlink Net Promoter Score (NPS) ratings in the US, as well as year-over-year data for the internet service across Chile, Mexico, Canada, and the US.
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Starlink speed tests, when compared with rival providers, show a stark contrast and a clear winner in performance, with an average Mbps of over 30 in metropolitan areas and over 40 in nonmetropolitan areas. As Ookla's Josh Fromon puts it, "Starlink users are more than willing to recommend the service and love the internet they are getting."
Ookla's data also shows how Starlink in Canada has become the fastest satellite provider in North America, with impeccable download and upload speeds of 93.97 Mbps and 9.60 Mbps, respectively. The runner-up, Starlink in the US, took home all but a mere 66.59 Mbps average download speed and 7.74 Mbps upload.
Starlink showed incredible promise elsewhere across the globe as well, with Ookla highlighting its blazing-fast speeds in Chile and Jamaica, making it both the fastest satellite provider in South America and the Caribbean. In Chile, the service was recorded with 84.62 Mbps download and 13.90 Mbps upload speeds, whereas in Jamaica, Starlink showed download speeds of 83.79 Mbps and 13.45 Mbps upload.
As Starlink trailblazes, similar offerings across the globe are soon sprouting life, including the likes of the EU's new multi-orbit constellation. Amazon itself is vying for dominance in the new-age space race, with its Project Kupier making headwinds with a green light from the FCC to launch 3,236 satellites. The firm recently showed off its terminals, which boast a potential performance of 100 Mbps to 400 Mbps, with an additional 1 Gbps offering for specific use cases, such as government bodies and enterprises that "require even more bandwidth."
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