starlink
According to Ookla speed tests, Starlink’s median download speeds in the US dropped from 90.6 Mbps to 62.5 Mbps between the first and second quarters of 2022. Starlink’s median upload speeds in the US dropped from 9.3 Mbps to 7.2 Mbps over the same period.
Median latency also deteriorated slightly for Starlink’s US customers, increasing from 43 ms to 48 ms. The latest figures are in Ooka’s Q2 2022 report on Starlink speeds around the world, released Tuesday. “Starlink speeds declined in every country we surveyed over the past year as more users sign up for service,” this week’s report said. The Q1 report is available here.
The Q2 report mentions significant year-over-year declines in Starlink speeds in numerous countries, while pointing out that overall performance is still quite good:
Speedtest Intelligence reveals that median download speeds for Starlink fell in Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, the UK and the US, between 9 and 54 percent from Q2 2021 to Q2 2022 as more users signed up for the service. However, Starlink still achieved a median download speed of at least 60 Mbps in North America in the second quarter of 2022, which is more than enough for at least one connected device to do almost anything on the Internet, including streaming video, downloading games, and more. chat on video with friends and family.
Upload speeds have also slowed down on Starlink, with speeds decreasing in all the countries we’ve tracked over the past year. Latency slightly outperformed, with latency remaining relatively flat in most countries (though high compared to fixed broadband). New Zealand was the outlier, with latency dropping 23ms. For most users, we still suspect that these dips are still worth it for areas that have no service, slow service, or low-cost options for high-speed internet.
A year ago, in Q2 2021, Ookla Starlink reported median download speeds in the US of 97.2 Mbps, uploads of 13.9 Mbps, and latency of 45 ms. On its website, Starlink says users should expect download speeds of 50 to 200 Mbps, upload speeds of 10 to 20 Mbps, and latency of 20 to 40 ms.
FCC cited Ookla tests in denying Starlink grant
Ookla reports, based on user-initiated speed tests, were cited by the Federal Communications Commission last month when it launched Starlink’s application to receive $885.51 million in broadband funding, which had been provisionally awarded during the tenure of then-chairman Ajit Pai. declined. The FCC said it doubted Starlink could provide the speeds required by the grant of 100 Mbps downloads and 20 Mbps uploads.
“We find that Ookla data reported as of July 31, 2022 indicates that Starlink’s speeds declined from the last quarter of 2021 to the second quarter of 2022, including upload speeds well below 20 Mbps,” the said. FCC at the time. . Ookla, a private company, operates a widely used speed-testing service and boasts that its data is often used by government and regulatory agencies.
The FCC’s doubts are also fueled by what the agency called Starlink’s “recognized capacity limitations.” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has acknowledged Starlink’s capacity limits on several occasions, for example saying that the satellite service will face “a challenge”. [serving everyone] when we get into the reach of several million users.” Starlink had nearly 500,000 users in 32 countries, according to a SpaceX presentation Musk Posted on his Twitter account in early June.
This month, Starlink asked the FCC to reverse the grant decision and grant funding, saying the agency “relied on unauthorized third-party speed testing.” Starlink also said speeds would improve as it launches more satellites. “First, the Ookla data covers a period of more than three years before SpaceX’s first mandatory deployment milestone in 2025. But by 2025, the Starlink network will have significantly more capacity than it was at the time of the speed tests in question,” the SpaceX statement said. division told the FCC.
Starlink has more than 3,000 satellites in orbit to date. The ISP has permission from the FCC to deploy nearly 12,000 satellites, including those already in use, and is seeking permission to eventually launch tens of thousands.
Users complain about slower speeds
In addition to speed tests, anecdotal evidence suggests that Starlink slowed down as the number of users grew. A PCMag article in July cited several users who complained about speeds, including a user from Texas who had “encountered download speeds on his Starlink dish that can dive as high as 1 Mbps, especially at night.” More users complained about thread delays on the Starlink subreddit.
Despite evidence that Starlink is slowing down, Ookla’s second quarter data shows it clearly outperforms Viasat and HughesNet satellite services with slower speeds and much worse latency. In the US, Viasat achieved median download speeds of 23.7 Mbps, upload speeds of 2.8 Mbps and a latency of 631 ms. HughesNet was measured at 22.6 Mbps downloads, 2.5 Mbps uploads and 716 ms latency.
Fixed broadband is still the best. Overall, US fixed broadband services achieved median download speeds of 150.1 Mbps, uploads of 21.5 Mbps and latency of 14 ms, according to the Q2 Ookla report.
It was clear from the start that Starlink is most suitable for people who do not have a fixed cable or fiber optic connection at home. The recent data doesn’t change that general conclusion, but Starlink users achieving slower-than-expected speeds have good reason to be frustrated.
