Starlink Deal Makes Satellite Dish 50% Cheaper for New Customers. Here's How It Works

CNET

12 hours ago

Starlink's satellite-based internet service has been a popular solution for people outside of traditional ISPs' service areas, and it just got a lot easier to give Starlink a try -- it's now featuring its lowest monthly prices ever and cutting the cost of the necessary equipment in half.
You can now purchase the Starlink standard kit for $175, down from its usual $349 price tag. Unlike previous deals, this one is available to new customers anywhere in the country. Most Starlink deals in the past have been limited to areas with fewer users.
Like the plan discounts, Starlink hasn't said how long the equipment deal will last. In the past, promotions have generally been around for several months.
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Is Starlink your best option for internet service?
Starlink has been a game changer for many people living in rural areas but I generally only recommend it as a last resort. That's partly because of its high price tag -- its standard rate of $120 per month is still far higher than the $78 average price in the US -- and partly because of its performance.
According to a recent report from the speed test site Ookla, Starlink users receive median speeds of 105Mbps down and 15Mbps up. That's plenty of bandwidth for many households but it still falls short of what the Federal Communications Commission defines as broadband. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
Starlink's median download speeds have nearly doubled since 2022, according to Ookla.
Ookla
The speeds you get from Starlink are also dependent on how many users there are in your area. One recent study from Penn State University found that Starlink's satellites can handle just 6.66 households per square mile before service starts to dip below the FCC's minimum standard. That doesn't mean you won't have enough speed to do everything you need online -- a Zoom meeting only requires about 4Mbps, for instance -- but it does give you an idea of how network congestion impacts Starlink.
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If there's a cable or fiber internet connection available at your address, I'm always going to recommend one of those over Starlink. They might come with their own frustrations, but they're almost always faster and cheaper than satellite providers.
Read more: Choose the Best Internet Provider for Your Home With Help From an Expert
To see what's available to you, enter your address on the FCC's broadband map. You'll see a list of providers, the type of technology they use and the speeds they say they can deliver.