Starlink Pros And Cons In 2023

Starlink has completely changed broadband internet access for rural and underserved areas around the globe. If you are considering Starlink as your internet service provider, it helps to know the pros and cons of the service in 2023, so you can make an informed decision.

In this article, I’m going to cover the biggest disadvantages of Starlink. I will also go over the highlights of the service, so you get the complete picture. The pros and cons listed here are just my own subjective opinion. The goal isn’t to change your mind on anything, just to provide all the information I can to help you in your own decision about Starlink.

Starlink Cons

Customer Service

By far, the biggest disadvantage of Starlink is customer service and communication. I get a lot of emails and comments from my readers on the subject of customer service. Most people are simply wondering, “How do I contact Starlink?” It should be a simple process, as it is with any other business, but Starlink makes it complicated.

Whether it’s a question about sales, availability, technical specs, etc., the unfortunate fact is that Starlink doesn’t provide any kind of public communication method. You can’t call them, email them, or even send a message on their website unless you are an active subscriber.

Even when you do buy the service, official communication only happens through an online support ticket system. Everything, from simple billing questions to tech support, happens online through your account portal. Customers have complained about slow response times to these tickets. In some cases, customers wait multiple weeks for a response from Starlink, even for a major issue like service being down.

Limited Availability

Broadband infrastructure in the US leaves a lot to be desired. There are many people in rural areas that aren’t covered even by DSL or cell service. When Starlink launched in 2021, demand was high. Even now in 2023, demand is much higher than network capacity. The limited availability due to network capacity is another big disadvantage of Starlink.

If you live in an area that is full, where Starlink isn’t accepting new orders, you’ll be put on the waitlist. Customers on the waitlist can wait months and even years before capacity expands. As Starlink launches more satellites, capacity grows. But the demand has far outpaced supply, so many customers are stuck waiting around with no other internet options.

Starlink has done several things to help with availability. They introduced the Best Effort program that gives people on the waitlist early access to the service. Their portable Roam service also allows people to get Starlink without waiting, with the tradeoff being reduced speeds.

High Costs

Starlink is more expensive than most kinds of internet. For the Residential plan, you will pay $120/month, with an up-front equipment cost of $599. Starlink isn’t much more expensive than other satellite internet services, but it is much more expensive than fiber, cable, 5G, etc.

$599 is a lot of money to pay up-front. Starlink doesn’t offer any kind of payment plan or installments. To order, you must be able to afford the high up front cost. Starlink has introduced equipment rental options in some markets, but not the US.

Other than the outright price, you also have to think about periodic increases. Starlink has increased their prices 2 times since launching the service. That means that, over about a 3 year time period since launching, the price of the service has gone up about 20%. It’s likely prices will change again regularly in the future.

Slow Speeds and Network Congestion

Another disadvantage, which is related to our previous point about limited availability, is the network congestion issues and slow speeds that Starlink customers can experience during peak hours. Congestion is especially a problem in areas where there are a lot of Starlink users, such as the eastern US. During peak hours, from 5pm-11pm, users may see drastically slower speeds as the bandwidth supply is quickly used up by all the Starlink users.

In response to the issue, Starlink has started publishing average speed data for the public to see. You can now check the Starlink speed map before ordering, to see what kind of real world performance that real users are getting in your area.

Complicated DIY Installation

When you order Starlink, you are 100% responsible for proper installation. Starlink does sell mounting accessories, but unless you can find an independent satellite installer, it’s a DIY job. If you are even somewhat handy, most installations won’t be difficult. But for the average person, mounting a satellite dish to a roof is a complicated endeavor.

The tricky part about Starlink is that it needs a very wide, clear view of the sky. Trees and other obstructions can cause performance issues. Starlink has an obstruction checker tool in their app to help, but every customer will need to verify that potential installation locations are free from obstructions for optimal performance.

Weather Sensitivity and Reliability

Starlink is satellite internet, and as a result, it can be affected by weather. Heavy rain, snow, and ice can knock out your signal for minutes at a time. In the heaviest downpours or snow, you could lose internet for hours. In 2023, where more and more people are working from home, that can be a big disadvantage.

Besides weather outages, sometimes the Starlink network has issues that result in downtime. These outages aren’t common, but do happen periodically. Satellite internet in general, not just Starlink, won’t be as reliable as fiber, cable, or other terrestrial broadband options.

Being an Early Adopter

The last big Starlink con on my list is the penalty that comes with being an early adopter to new technology. This one is sort of a broad disadvantage that takes into consideration most of the previous points that I’ve made on this list.

People who signed up for Starlink in the earliest months experienced a lot of network reliability issues, instability, and performance fluctuations. Even years later in 2023, the service is relatively new. Changes are still being made to the specifications and policies.

One good example is the implementation, and then quick removal, of the 1TB soft data cap for Starlink Residential customers. As Starlink continues to grow, expect more changes to the service, whether it is to policies or performance.

Starlink Pros

Global Coverage

By far, the biggest advantage to Starlink is the global coverage. With Starlink’s range of service plans, you can select from fixed Residential service, to Global Roam, that allows you to use your dish virtually anywhere on Earth.

No other ISP in the world can match Starlink’s availability and coverage. Coverage even extends to the open oceans with Starlink’s Maritime service, and even thousands of feet in the air with their Aviation service.

High Speed, Low Latency Satellite Internet

Traditionally, satellite internet has been known for slow speeds and high latency. Before Starlink, activities like online gaming and video calling was impossible with other satellite ISP’s like Viasat. But in 2023, Starlink is one of the few low earth orbit satellite ISP’s to offer speeds faster than 200 mbps, with latency under 50 ms.

With Starlink, customers can game online, join video calls, work remotely, and stream their favorite TV shows and movies. It’s internet without compromises, which hasn’t been the case with satellite internet previously.

Many Hardware And Service Options

Another pro of Starlink is the wide range of hardware and service options available. Starlink has a service plan to fit almost any use case. If you need home internet, you can select the Residential service. If you are a business, the Priority service plan offers better performance. People that need portable service can purchase Roam.

There are also multiple hardware options to choose from. The entry-level Standard hardware kit is suitable for home internet or for portable applications. Power users and businesses can upgrade to the High Performance kit. Need to use Starlink in-motion on your RV or vehicle? The Flat High Performance dish can be selected to offer that capability.

Modern, App Based Account Management

Starlink is a modern technology company, so it is no surprise that another advantage is their iPhone/Android app, and completely digital account management. Customers manage their subscription, pay their bill, and order accessories completely online.

This pro might be controversial, as some people will view it as a con. But in my own opinion, I appreciate that I can do everything online or through the app, without having to pick up the phone.

Conclusion

Although I’ve outlined several big disadvantages of Starlink, it’s important to keep things in perspective. Starlink is providing high speed, low latency internet to areas of the world that previously didn’t have it. Even with the current issues, most customers are grateful to have more competition available.

The disadvantages won’t offset the advantages for most potential customers. If you are considering Starlink, take a look at your current internet options, and prioritize the factors above. I believe it’s important to have all the information, both pros and cons, in order to make the best decision as a consumer.

Do you have any criticisms or good things that you would add to the list? Let me know in the comment section below!