Although SpaceX, while launching its Starlink satellite internet beta on October 26, tried to minimize expectations, many users commented that they are experiencing a download speed of more than 160 megabits per second. As per speed test provider Ookla, the download speed of 160 megabits per second is faster than almost 95% of US connections.
A user hailing from rural Montana mentioned that they are experiencing a download speed of 174 Mbps and a upload speed of 33Mbps. Another West-Coast user shared a screenshot of their 161 Mbps speed test to the Starlink Reddit community.
The enthralled users say that “Starlink will forever change the game”. Almost all the user tests tend to appear within this range, as per a list of confirmed speed accumulated by the Reddit community before the beta began.
Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX in an October 26 email claimed that the “Better Than Nothing Beta” has the capacity of providing speed between 50Mbps and 150 Mbps while costing $600 upfront to join the network. The beta network is bringing internet to Earth using a network of almost 900 satellites.
Although SpaceX, in the email, further said that it was initially aiming to lower the “initial expectation” of users about the new beta, the new Starlink project is preparing for future endeavors with the aim to spread the internet across the globe.
The network is expected to have “brief periods of no connectivity at all”. Users during the trial have confirmed the fact. The same user from the West-Coast said that “interruptions are about ten to fifteen seconds, and seem to happen every few minutes.” Although there are, “a couple of trees in the way, getting steady high speeds”, as reported by a user.
A subscription to the beta test costs $99 a month, plus $499 for a kit with a tripod, a WiFi router, and a terminal to connect to the Starlink satellites. Users are willing to spend even more for a better setup – one customer said on Reddit that they spent an extra $100 on a sturdier mount.
Although users have expressed their urge to spend a substantial amount for a good setup, the subscription amount for the beta test is fixed at $99 per month. In addition to this amount, $499 is charged for a kit with a tripod, a WiFi router, and a terminal to connect to the Starlink satellites. An extra amount of $100 is spent by users on a sturdier mount, as stated by a user on Reddit.
