SpaceX's Starlink satellite Internet service continues to achieve high internet speeds in download tests. Soon after it launched, when the network had adequate capacity, Starlink used to post download speeds in hundreds of Mbps in its early days, but with the network gaining popularity and more users signing up, the speeds have started to slow down.
However, recently Starlink has started to remind of its initial high speeds, with multiple internet speed tests crossing the 100 Mbps mark. Today's test is a rare one though, as it measures Starlink's performance while in motion. As opposed, previous download tests have only measured the performance of fixed terminals typically installed in a user's home.
Starlink Crosses 100 Mbps In Mobility Download Speeds
As Starlink has evolved over the years, SpaceX has also expanded its product portfolio. Initially, users had the option to only buy a circular dish that was constrained to the address registered with SpaceX at the time of sign up. However, newer terminals and multiple plan options have been introduced over time. These include the more expensive business plans and different dishes with varying power consumption.
Another plan allows users to use Starlink while changing locations. Two such plans are offered, namely the Starlink Roam and Starlink Mobility. These differ primarily on the kind of the user dish provided. For Starlink Mobility, the dish is designed to be mounted to a vehicle, while Starlink Roam has a stand that can be placed anywhere.
Today's download test comes from one of these plans, and it measures the dish's performance while in motion. It was shared on Twitter and showed Starlink's download speed sitting at 130 Mbps. The upload speed is significantly lower, sitting at 17 Mbps.
These Starlink mobility speeds today
@Starlink pic.twitter.com/ggCdgjkTMg
— DblCapCrimpin (@dblcapcrimpin) July 7, 2023
A common confusion when analyzing Starlink internet speed tests is between WiFi and Starlink speeds. The former simply measures the speed between a device (such as a smartphone or a laptop) and the wireless router. The latter measures the actual network speed or the rate of data transfer between the user dish and the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. The WiFi speed is available for all devices that access a wireless router but has to be accessed depending on the device being used.
Starlink has regularly started to cross the 100 Mbps download speed barrier recently. Most of these tests are from users outside of America, and a recent run came from a user in Germany. This showed a download speed of 208 Mbps for an initial run and a score of 177 Mbps for a second run by a user in rural Germany that had recently ordered the internet equipment.
Naturally, these scores are rare than normal, and detailed analysis of the network's performance in the U.S. and globally has revealed much lower download speeds for most users. SpaceX also feels the heat from a rapidly growing user base and the need to launch larger satellites to populate recently approved orbital regions.
To simplify matters, the firm is also limited in launching satellites because of Falcon 9. While the medium-lift rocket was a great launch vehicle to launch the initial batches of Starlink satellites (described by many as simply 'do it yourself satellites'), the newer spacecraft features many improvements and are consequently larger. SpaceX's plans to launch them through Starship saw quite a bit of controversy at the FCC, and the firm will launch the full-scale second-generation satellites with the rocket.
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