Despite Starlink speeds improved, FCC’s broadband standard is still missing
starlink It’s almost twice as fast as 2 years ago According to recent reports From the speed test site Ookla. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET and Ziff Davis.)
Median download speed from Satellite Internet Providers It has steadily been etched over the past few years, from 53.95 megabits per second in 2022 to 104.71Mbps today. Considering Starlink, it’s an impressive feat Approximately 5 million customers added I recently passed over the same period 6 million mark Worldwide. However, according to Ookla data, only 17.4% of StarLink customers have achieved internet speeds. Defining the minimum broadband speed for FCC: 100Mbps download and 20Mbps upload.
“The fact that Starlink’s median download speed almost doubled from Q3 2022 to Q1 2025 is definitely a noticeable and impressive development,” Ookla Editor-in-Chief Sue Marek told CNET. “Their continued efforts to expand the capabilities of satellite constellations are making a difference.”
Starlink achieved that by significantly increasing its capabilities. At the beginning of 2022, the company had around 1,761 satellites in orbit. Today, that number is 7,607. Space Object Catalog. SpaceX, which owns Starlink, says it hopes that in the end there will be 42,000 satellites in space.
They will be needed. Recent changes to broadband equity, access and deployment programs Starlink was able to inject $2 billion in government subsidies to provide the internet in rural areas. However, many industry experts are skeptical that Starlink can add millions of new customers without sacrificing speed.
That’s a reasonable concern. While most subscribers meet the 100Mbps download speed threshold, Starlink’s median upload speed is only 14.84Mbps, excluding the FCC broadband definition.
delayor the time it takes data to reach the location it is on the way from the computer is also on the higher side – compared to 45 ms (MS) 12ms across the country; I recommend CNET Approximately 50 milliseconds Or low for activities such as online games.
October 2024, main It’s begun We offer free Starlink dishes For residents in “the most difficult places.” We asked Brian Allenby, senior director of the Maine Connectivity Bureau, if Starlink is worried about hitting its 100/20Mbps benchmark. In a previous interview.
“We have a very grade level reporting through the StarLink portal, but it’s all compliant,” Allenby said. “So we don’t have any immediate concerns about it.”
A StarLink representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
It states that you are eligible for a free Starlink dish
The StarLink experience can vary dramatically depending on where you live. Recently, A $500 “demand fee” was established In the Pacific Northwest, it fights crowds in frequently used areas. In other states with more capacity, yes Offering $349 satellite dishes to customers Free.
Ookla looked into areas where Starlink offers free equipment and discovered all the equipment except West Texas. underthere was a median download speed above 100Mbps. South Dakota, Rhode Island and Wyoming Alaska has the highest percentage of customers meeting the 100/20Mbps benchmark Mississippi and Louisiana It was the lowest.