Starlink Internet Speeds See Slight Delay in US, Canada

Again, internet speeds for SpaceXs starlink system slowdown for users in North America, according to Ookla Speedtest data.

In the first quarter, median download speeds for Starlink users in the US reached 90.55 Mbps, down from 104.97 Mbps in the fourth quarter of 2021. Upload speeds dropped from 12.04 Mbps to 9.33 Mbps.

The same trends occurred among Starlink users in Canada. In the first quarter, median download speeds were 97.40 Mbps, down from 106.64 Mbps in the fourth quarter. Upload speeds also dropped to 10.70 Mbps, from 12.82 Mbps.

Starlink’a median download speeds have been up and down for users in North America over the past year.

Ookla published the report(Opens in a new window) as some Starlink users complain of fluctuating internet speeds during the day, which they suspect are due to network congestion.

“Starlink is oversold in North America,” said Nelson Minor, a California blogger. wrote(Opens in a new window) earlier this month. “I’ve had the service since March 2021 and it’s usually great. But every night it slows down. I can’t watch any 1080p video stream reliably on bad nights.”

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Ookla’s report is based on data from speedtest.net(Opens in a new window), which anyone can use to check the speed of their internet connection. However, it only covers the period between January and March 2022.

Ookla also pointed out that Starlink’s internet speeds generally show an upward trend when looking at Speedtest data on a global basis. For example, in some countries in Europe, Starlink can beat the median download speeds of ground-based broadband providers.

In addition, Starlink download speeds have generally increased for users in both the US and Canada when looking at the data on a year-over-year basis. The technology also significantly outperforms other satellite Internet providers, such as Viasat and HughesNet.

SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But the company is steadily attracting more Starlink subscribers, which now serves nearly 500,000 users around the world. It also started selling in May Starlink RVwhich does not have a waiting list for new subscribers.

To improve Starlink’s coverage and internet speeds, SpaceX is working on the launch thousands of additional satellites in Earth’s orbit. But this will take time and require regulatory approval.