Starlink Speeds Drop Significantly in the US Amid Congestion Woes
Download speeds for SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet system are seeing a sharp drop for users in the US and Canada, according to Ookla’s Speedtest data.
During Q2—April to June—the median download rate for US-based Starlink users settled in at 62.53Mbps, a decrease from 90.55Mbps in Q1. Upload speeds also experienced a decline, reaching only 7.24Mbps, down from 9.33Mbps.
Meanwhile, in Canada, the median download speeds came in at 75.73Mbps, a drop from 97.40Mbps, according to Ookla’s report(Opens in a new window), which is based on data from Speedtest.net(Opens in a new window), a site anyone can use to check the speed of their internet connection.
Ookla blames the falling speeds on Starlink’s popularity. Hundreds of thousands of customers have signed up for SpaceX’s satellite internet service, which can deliver high-speed broadband to rural areas stuck with poor broadband service. However, the system’s soaring popularity means that SpaceX’s network capacity is currently stretched in many areas across North America, resulting in slower speeds in cells already full of existing subscribers.
Ookla adds that the network congestion problems seem to be affecting Starlink users worldwide. “Starlink speeds decreased in every country we surveyed over the past year as more users sign up for service,” the company wrote.
Still, Starlink’s broadband quality in Europe remains significantly better than in North America. According to the report, most countries in Europe are experiencing median download speeds higher than 90Mbps or 100Mbps, which often outperforms fixed broadband providers.
Ookla’s report arrives when a growing number of users have been complaining(Opens in a new window) about encountering slow speeds via
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