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Is Satellite Internet the Answer to a Presently Unreliable Internet Connection?

3 Nov 2022 11:45 AM | Anonymous

This article is not about any of the "normal" topics of this newsletter: genealogy, history, current affairs, DNA, and related topics. However, it is a major item I am considering right now and I think maybe others are having similar thoughts.

If you have any experience with modern Satellite Internet connections (primarily with Starlink), I would love to hear about your experiences.

Satellite internet has never been anyone’s first choice regarding internet connectivity. Traditionally, these services have offered a small amount of bandwidth and a large amount of latency. Some years ago when I was living and traveling in a recreational vehicle, (often called an RV) I investigated satellite internet connections. I soon gave up on it because of all the reports I read about slow connections, high latency (read more about latency at https://www.satelliteinternet.com/resources/what-is-internet-latency/), no signals at all in many RV campgrounds, and high expenses. It seems to appeal mostly to extremely rural clients. It’s no wonder that satellite internet has not really been on the average person’s radar.

I soon rejected the idea.

In addition, while internet connectivity in my new home is fast when it works, the local hard-wired service in my area is plagued with frequent outages.

However, a new satellite provider is now available in many areas and reportedly may solve some of these issues. The new provider is Starlink (https://www.starlink.com/), a company invented by and owned by, Elon Musk.

I am again considering satellite internet here at home. The recent internet outage during and after Hurricane Ian simply added to my wondering about the feasibility of satellite internet service.

Unlike traditional satellite connections, Starlink uses satellites only about 340 miles above the Earth, and rather than a single satellite, it uses a constellation of thousands that can all speak to each other. This means (in theory) that you can have bandwidth and latency similar to a terrestrial broadband connection, and it comes with comparable installation and subscription costs too.

The key phrase in that previous paragraph is "in theory." After spending hundreds or perhaps even thousands of dollars in hardware, a satellite dish on the roof, and the labor of installation, will Starlink really deliver on its theoretical advantages?

Depending on my budget, it could make sense to purchase Starlink (or similar) satellite hardware could be installed as a backup solution or, should a service like Starlink prove good enough, I could skip all those earthly concerns entirely and use the technology as my primary internet connection.

High-speed, low-latency broadband Starlink internet is now available in many areas (see https://www.starlink.com/map to see it it is available in your area). The quoted price is $110 U.S./month with a one-time hardware cost of $599. Starlink offers unlimited high-speed data through an array of small satellites that deliver up to 150 Megabits per second (Mbps) of internet speed. The company plans to double this rate in the coming months.

People on the road in RVs or on board boats and yachts can now get access to the Starlink RV service for $135 per month plus $599 for the hardware.

Note: While described as "high-speed data," 150 Megabits per second is slower than what I presently have with a local wired Internet provider, when it is working.

You can read more about Starlink's service in an article by Kinza Yasar at: https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Starlink.

So, here are my questions:

  1. Is Starlink reliable?
  2. Is Starlink worth the money?
  3. Are you happy with Starlink as a provider of internet service?
  4. If you had to do it all over agin, would you still sign up with Starlink?
  5. If you do not presently use Starlink, are you considering using it in the near future?

Please post your comments at the end of this article.

Update: Here are a few additional words I added a few hours after posting the above article: I really do not care much about television coverage. I rarely turn the TV on. However, I do tend to spend several hours online on the internet most every day.

Update #2: November 8, 2022: See my latest thoughts in an article at https://eogn.com/page-18080/12982179 

Comments

  • 3 Nov 2022 2:01 PM | Anonymous
    Yes! Again and again yes!
    After struggling with dial-up on antiquated phone lines, we made the move to a satellite provider that was nearly as bad as the dial-up. When Starlink became available we signed up and have had no regrets in the 18 months we have had it.
    Our entire valley in rural Oregon is making the move to Starlink from those "other" providers. Even we grannies are able to set it up on our own.
    You won't be disappointed.
    Link  •  Reply
    • 4 Nov 2022 7:40 AM | Anonymous
      I switched to Starlink when it became availible about a month ago in my area from the other big satellite company, Hughes. I have never been happier although the cost is higher. My stock trading software from Schwab barely functioned on the Hughes satellite. I think the latency was the problem. With Starlink the software functions quickly and properly. In fact, everything about the internet works better and much faster, in spite of the fact that Starlink offered me a degraded speed due to them not yet having enough satellites to serve my area. It should only improve as they launch more satellites.
      Link  •  Reply
  • 4 Nov 2022 11:13 AM | Anonymous
    As I live in a community that is on coax cable (read, fine for downloads / not fine for uploads), not planned to go fiber, and that I spend a lot of time online and time in remote places when not at home, I have also been evaluating Starlink.
    As background, I early adopted microwave, then satelite (Direct TV) and have not been on "cable" for over 20 years.
    I'm very close to going w/Starlink. Thanks for writing this post, for those who provide experience with Starlink, and for perspectives.
    Link  •  Reply
  • 12 Nov 2022 5:17 PM | Anonymous
    If you are in the target market it is great. If you aren't in the target market, run away. Dick, from your description of your location, you are not in the target market.

    I bought some acreage in the middle of nowhere about 22 years ago. I have been on dial-up, DSL, long-haul WiFi, and three different satellite services. I now have StarLink and its performance is literally a magnitude better than anything that I have ever had. Since I also have trees around, I just mounted my antenna on a 28' tower in one of my fields. Was it more expensive? Sure. But I finally can have video on during videoconferences, can do remote server support for my job, and can actually stream from services like Netflix, Amazon, and Disney. Those were dreams with my previous satellite service.

    In another post you complained that StarLink might start offering a limit of 1TB per month. I'm fine with that as well. 1TB is A LOT unless you are running your own data center. My previous satellite service cut back on service after 150GB/mo. I'm happy. But I also don't have the wonderful service options available that you are complaining about.

    We are definitely complaining and arguing about first-world problems <grin>. I remember the days of reading BBS posts scrolling at 300 baud. I could read faster than the text downloaded.

    My how the world has changed.
    Link  •  Reply

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