Starlink Hints 1Gbps+ Broadband Speeds Possible for the Future
Several recent statements and FCC filings for SpaceX’s popular Starlink service, which offers ultrafast broadband connectivity via a global mega constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), have hinted that the provider is still aiming to deliver gigabit (1Gbps+) speeds to consumers, and they have a plan for achieving it.
At present Elon Musk’s Starlink network has 6,458 satellites (c.2,200 are v2 Mini / GEN 2A) in orbit – mostly at altitudes of c.500-600km – and they’re in the process of adding thousands more by the end of 2027. Customers in the UK typically pay from £75 a month for a 30-day term, plus £299 for hardware on the ‘Standard’ plan (inc. £20 postage), which promises internet latency times of 25-60ms, downloads of c. 25-100Mbps and uploads of c. 5-10Mbps.
However, those with a long enough memory may recall that, prior to its commercial launch, the operator was originally aiming to deliver up to 1Gbps speeds to customers (possibly even rising up to 10Gbps in the future). But once launched, the service has often struggled to get much above peaks of around 200-300Mbps, while average performance is still considerably lower.
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For example, the average (median) UK download speed on Starlink is currently 90.7Mbps and this rises up to 156.9Mbps for those with the top 10% of fastest connections, while upload speeds average 11.2Mbps or 16.4Mbps for those in the top 10% (here). Suffice to say that the network is currently a long way off the 1Gbps+ mark, which also helps to keep it affordability.
What the future holds
SpaceX has long envisaged that their new Starship rocket, which is currently still a work-in-progress but is rapidly nearing the point of being able to handle commercial launches, as being the game changer that would be needed in order to loft a much larger number of fully sized (heavier) next generation v2 and even v3 Starlink satellites. Such satellites would be able to handle much more capacity.
The good news (credits to PC Mag) is that, as Starship progresses, we’re now starting to see signs of Starlink talking about gigabit speeds again. For example, SpaceX recently requested that the FCC allow it to make several updates to its v2 (second generation) satellites, which would bring them a bit closer to earth (i.e. lowering their altitudes from 525-535km to 480-475km) and allowing them to harness additional radio spectrum in the E band (i.e 71-74GHz downlink and 81-84GHz uplink).
The language used in this filing does not mince words, including talk of these changes making it possible to “deliver gigabit-speeds, low-latency broadband and ubiquitous mobile connectivity to all Americans and the billions of people around the world who lack adequate broadband.” The same goal was recently echoed by one of SpaceX’s top executives.
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Michael Nicolls, VP of Starlink Engineering at SpaceX, said (X):
“The next generation @starlink satellite will launch on Starship and deliver gigabit connectivity anywhere in the world. We got one step closer to that reality today [13th Oct 2024] with an amazing Flight 5!”
Naturally, we still don’t know when this would become viable at the consumer level and rivals may yet attempt to block some of the recent FCC requests, which has happened before (LEO is an increasingly competitive environment). At the same time, we’ve heard all this talk of gigabit and fibre-like speeds before – some years ago now, although turning that aspiration into an affordable reality for consumers remains a slow, expensive and complex process.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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Starlink is literally a major lifesaver in several parts of the world. Very inspiring that Elon is somehow able to advance so many parts of humanity while still having time to play Diablo 4
Gwynne Shotwell, the person who actually runs SpaceX day to day, has indeed done a great job and clearly has many excellent engineers and other staff working under her.
On the actual article let’s see: Starlink are charging a premium in the UK and other places calling it a congestion charge. Suggests they are struggling with capacity and are trying to deter sign ups. Lots to do between promising this kind of performance and delivering it.
I don’t think SpaceX would be as successful as it is today without people like Gwynne Shotwell, but it also wouldn’t have the products it has (Falcon 9, Starlink, the future Starship) without someone like Musk. It takes some talent to pick someone like Shotwell and guts to decide to make a rocket that can land and be reusable when everyone says it’s a dumb idea.
Musk isn’t the genius some say he is, but he’s not that useless or incompetent either. He’s somewhere between the two, in my view.
This doesn’t mean I agree with his more recent behaviour, but that’s a different subject.
“guts to decide to make a rocket that can land and be reusable when everyone says it’s a dumb idea.”
It may well still be a dumb idea – SpaceX’s financials are opaque and claims of massive profitability and sustainably low launch prices are outweighed by endless capital raises. Not to mention the endless price rises that are imposed on starlink customers.
It’s visually impressive, but does it actually save as much money as we are constantly told? What does SpaceX know that the rest of the industry does not?
It’s also clear that Musk has given himself a lot more say in products like Cybertruck and Starship, and that is perhaps why they are so problematic.
Not a fan of Elon’s antics on X/Twitter, but his push for global connectivity with Starlink is commendable
What is not to like? The thing has more features than ever before, runs faster and no longer responds to secret unlawful censorship requests as exposed by the twitter files where the FBI was literally involved in election interference by censoring in favor of the democrat party
@Sam Imo organic conversations have disappeared with the over abundance of NSFW / Bot / Engagement farming content. It also feels it’s harming the progress of his other companies.
There’s always been a NSFW problem with most social media. Before the purchase, roughly 20% of the engagement were bots, the number is way way down now. The algorithm is tailored to your engagement rather than whatever agenda they tried pushing on you
His other companies are doing fine. SpaceX literally caught a 20 floor building sized rocket using mechazilla tweezers. Boring company has to work within tight city regulations. Tesla still close to all time highs and just came out with the AI robots and FSD. Neuralink doing wonders
His work as upcoming chief of the DOGE Department Of Government Efficiency will be a revolutionary model of governance that will show countries around the world how to save their economies
@Sam I hope Elon is paying you for this mate, really do
Elron got schooled by Brazil recently – turns out other governments aren’t as receptive to his “free speech” nonsense as the Americans are. Site was blocked until he complied with court order. Claimed he wouldn’t, a few weeks later he quietly relented and the site was unblocked.
(as for free speech – there are certain words you literally cannot say on twitter as it will be automatically blocked, words that Elron himself directed to be blocked. They are not slurs or anything that normal people would consider offensive.)
Bizarre complaining about censorship on X when old twitter literally banned the satire Babylon Bee and also Jordan Peterson over making a joke about the man in a dress part of the current US cabinet
It’s not fully free speech, it has to comply with local laws, the problem is that many authoritarians feel they need to censor. The case in Brazil is outrageous when they literally wanted to ban elected members of congress, shocking stuff really, the literal equivalent of banning a UK sitting MP like Diane Abbott. The sort of stuff people complain about from the likes of Russia
“outrageous” and yet the billionaire bent the knee and complied with the requirements of a country in which he wants to do business & which doesn’t have an interest in keeping him happy.
It doesn’t matter if someone is an elected official (and you could argue “old twitter” kept Trump and others on there for far too long, citing leniency as an elected official).
In the UK, parliamentary privilege only applies in limited circumstances. An MP cannot be sued for what they say during a debate within the House of Commons but they absolutely can be sued or face other consequences for what they may say elsewhere, including on social media. So your hypothetical example (and I’d wonder *why* you chose that particular MP) doesn’t work.
And the mask off moment comes – No you cannot just argue that an elected official gets censored, that’s literal political persecution. People deserve to hear all sides
SpaceX, including Starlink, is certainly the most interesting of Elon’s projects. They’ve seriously moved the game on in so many ways, achieving what most thought impossible a decade ago. Shame he’s a Trump-supporting mupp3t though!
Why do you support Kamala and censorship? There is no shame in supporting world peace
It is strange when people look at Tesla, SpaceX, Starlink, Neuralink.. They admire and wonder and then say nah, he must be wrong about politics and all the things and go vote for someone broke..
Nothing strange about that bob if you’d seen the rubbish he posts/promotes on X. He a ultra right-wing idiot in my eyes
Bob is correct, people will have the exact same position as the legacy media without being critical that they are supporting Marxism, open borders, taxing unrealized gains, more regulations, high energy costs, inflation, wars, censorship, unemployment, homelessness, crime (just look at LA, SF, cities destroyed by their wacky policies)
The current US admin actually had a government funded broadband plan…. Which spent 65billion to connect a grand total of ZERO homes instead of just using Starlink. They are that incompetent. No one in their right mind wants 4 more years
RDOF is connecting homes all over the US – there’s fibre on the ground and on poles and people are already enjoying their new services. Much like our BDUK and similar projects, there are requirements to meet in order to unlock and retain funding. It isn’t a free for all. No one’s getting paid to do nothing.
That’s the programme Starlink applied for and was initially approved (by Trump’s FCC) before being – totally rightly – denied by Biden’s FCC because there was no evidence that Starlink could meet performance promises, which were partly based on the starship vehicle whose progress has been rather glacial.
Other wireless-based ISPs also had their applications rejected in exactly the same way, so it’s not retaliation or politically driven or any other conspiracy theory.
BEAD has connected literally none
https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/publications/detail/the-42-billion-internet-program-that-has-connected-0-people
BEAD is a federally funded, state administered programme that was never going to connect anyone by now and everyone knew this. 2nd paragraph of the link makes it pretty clear. Looks like an infrastructure programme more than a broadband access subsidy programme.
Alternative to subsidising infrastructure build is to buy loads of people Starlink equipment and pay their rental for a while. Then what? If they couldn’t afford Starlink in the first place they’re unlikely to be able to after the subsidy runs out and that’s exactly what’s happened with other programmes paying rental. Getting fibre into these areas there’s at least infrastructure that’ll last decades. Even HFC builds fibre is getting closer to homes.
Jack – No one in their right mind wants an elderly billionaire rapist bully as president. The recent debate and interviews have demonstrated that he can’t answer even simple questions without rambling and lying. What he calls “the weave” is what everyone else recognises as cognitive decline. “They’re eating the daaawgs” is where this whole charade should’ve finally ended.
You must’ve seen the wrong interviews. Go watch Kamala on Fox, where for the first time they haven’t fed her questions beforehand. Meanwhile Donald Trump has been on pretty much every network including the hostile ones like CNN where he got standing ovations with their handpicked crowd and in so many prominent podcasts like PBD, Full Send, Lex Friedman and soon Joe Rogan who previously had said he would never host Trump
There is concrete video evidence of dog and cat barbecues not just in Springfield, but in the outskirts. Instead of being an elitist talking without evidence maybe you should do some research. The same network that did the fake fact check just the previous day published an article exactly stating that the army had been deployed in Springfield