While we’re not normally fans of preorders or putting money down on something we can’t yet get, the $99 deposit is refundable. And, once you get the service, your $99 goes toward your equipment purchase price of $599. (If you put down a deposit toward the original $499 equipment price, your kit cost becomes $549.) Even so, keep in mind that your deposit doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get Starlink internet access any time soon—or at all. And orders are first-come, first-served, so you might still have to wait even when Starlink satellites swarm your neighborhood skies. Currently, wait times for Starlink service are extended out through early 2023 due to chip shortages. The company recently raised prices for its basic plan, so the monthly cost is now $110 (up from $99 a month). And the equipment cost rose from $499 to $599. There’s also a new business tier of premium Starlink service. It costs a whopping $500 a month (yes, five-zero-zero), and the equipment cost skyrockets to $2,500. So keep your eyes peeled for any changes to Starlink’s data policy in the future. And for now, Starlink doesn’t currently offer an equipment rental option, while both Viasat and HughesNet do. Those latitudes cover most of the US, and we found that the majority of Starlink customers are located in northern states like Washington, Wisconsin, and Michigan. But there are some more southern states, like Missouri, that are also home to a few lucky people who get Starlink service. Of course, your actual Starlink internet speeds might be slower or faster than what’s advertised. In a recent report, speed test company Ookla reported that Starlink median download speeds hit 105 Mbps during the last quarter of 2021.2
Starlink median latency: 40 ms Viasat median latency: 627 ms HughesNet median latency: 725 ms
These speed results make Starlink a possibly worse choice compared to DSL, cable, and fiber internet. But if your only rural internet option is another satellite provider or fixed wireless, Starlink is swooping in for the save. And keep in mind that Starlink is still deploying satellites and ground stations while working out the kinks. As more satellites reach Earth’s orbit and more ground stations are built, Starlink users will likely see improved download speeds and lower latency. A Reddit member asked a Starlink representative whether Starlink internet users would see slower speeds once more users sign up. The representative said the service will not get overcrowded, and said that the network will get “increasingly great, not increasingly worse” as more satellites are launched.4
Starlink beta test data cap: Unlimited
Data caps are a huge deal with satellite internet because they’re often much smaller than you’d find with traditional ISPs—Viasat currently offers the most monthly data of 300 GB. You can even cancel your service and return your equipment within 30 days for a full refund of your equipment fee. You can also get your $99 deposit refunded if you sign up for Starlink and cancel before service reaches your area. We’re glad a full equipment refund is offered, because Starlink’s dish and router don’t come cheap.
Starlink satellite dish and router cost: $599 plus shipping and handling
In a recent Q&A session, Musk noted that the dish costs more than $1,300 to make. This high cost has spurred Starlink to get to work on a new terminal that costs less but provides the same level of performance.5 However, since SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell mentioned that the company would like to drop the price for equipment, inflation has taken a turn and Starlink equipment costs rose. Starlink On the App Store | Starlink On Google Play A beta tester in Arizona lost internet service when his dish overheated in the 120° weather, and another user in Virginia saw their dish overheat in 80-degree weather.6 SpaceX originally filed a request with the FCC for 1 million Earth stations, or ground terminals. But thanks to the massive number of beta test applicants, the company amended its request to ask the FCC for permission to build 5 million Earth stations.
Hawthorne, California Limestone, Maine Conrad, Montana Panaca, Nevada Beekmantown, New York Greenville, Pennsylvania Kalama, Washington North Bend, Washington Redmond, Washington Merrillan, Wisconsin Evanston, Wyoming
In fact, the only option for getting a hold of Starlink support is on the Starlink app. (Android | iOS) Even after scouring the web, we couldn’t find a dedicated Starlink support phone number or email. A 2021 article on Business Insider may give us the best indication of how good or bad Starlink customer service is doing so far. And to be honest, it seems like current Starlink beta testers are getting a mixed bag when it comes to customer service. Some customers got quick responses, but others had to wait days or even a week to hear back. Many customers inquired about moving their dish to a new address other than the one they signed up with. And for reference, it seems like you can as long as you reapply for service at the new address. Another common complaint is that the included power cable is only 100 feet long. And, as Tom’s Guide’s John R. Quain noted, the cable is attached to the dish, so you can’t simply replace it.7 And don’t forget about service dropouts, which plague most every Starlink customer. Of course, the service is still in beta, so service dropouts are annoying but inevitable as SpaceX gets its satellites in order.
Prices and plans: At $110 a month plus a $599 equipment fee, Starlink could be a tad expensive for some. But compared to other satellite internet providers, it offers great value for the price you pay. Speed: Starlink’s download speeds are still in question, but the beta test advertises 50–250 Mbps with the potential for improved speeds once the service goes fully live. Data caps: Starlink currently gives customers unlimited data, which is leaps and bounds beyond the next highest satellite internet data cap of 300 GB. Contracts, equipment, and fees: Starlink comes with no contract, but its $599 equipment fee is steep. We hope to see a reduced cost for the dish and router in the future—or at least an option to rent. Customer service: Customers have said that Starlink customer service is hit or miss: Sometimes you’ll get an immediate response, other times you’ll wait a week for a reply.
For more info about satellite-based internet services, check out Best Satellite and Internet Providers. We also took a look at the official Starlink sign-up site and subreddit to learn more about where the beta test is currently available, how you can sign up, how much the service costs, and more. While we’d love to get hands-on with Starlink and test it ourselves, we felt that these reports gave us a fairly accurate and in-depth look while we wait for service at our home address. By offering nationwide satellite internet service with high speeds and low latency, Starlink may even pull more customers from other top internet providers.
3 out of every 4 (74%) internet users want to stream high-quality video on platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu. 72% want to have high-quality video calls on platforms such as Zoom, Skype, and FaceTime. Over half (56%) want to play online video games with high performance.
With higher internet speeds and less latency than other providers, people are willing to dig into their wallets a bit more every month for Starlink if it means they can do what they want on the internet. The survey has a sample error of ± 4.5% and a 95% level of confidence. Starlink speed data was sourced from 168 speed test reports from various beta test users across the country. The satellite dish is actually set up to operate in temperatures as low as 22° below zero and up to 104°F, though some beta testers reported losing service because their dish got too hot. Because SpaceX is still launching satellites and building base stations, it’s hard to nail down just how fast Starlink will be. But our hope is that more satellites will improve download speeds for all. Reported latency for Starlink was 40 ms, which is fairly reasonable even for a first-person shooter (FPS) game. The only things to watch out for? Slow download speeds (for patching or downloading new games) and service disconnects. Just know that any other connected wireless device, like laptops, cell phones, or home security systems, will also use up some of that Starlink bandwidth and may put a cramp in your Loki binge session. In fact, you could say that these two new internet services might complement each other. 5G’s short-distance networks are optimal for densely populated urban areas, and Starlink’s requirement that your dish have a line of sight to the sky is optimal for wide open, rural spaces.
