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Amazon Just Kicked Off Project Kuiper: Here's What We Know About Starlink's Latest Competitor
Amazon Just Kicked Off Project Kuiper: Here's What We Know About Starlink's Latest Competitor

CNET

time4 days ago

  • Business
  • CNET

Amazon Just Kicked Off Project Kuiper: Here's What We Know About Starlink's Latest Competitor

Bringing broadband to remote, rural and underserved areas is no easy or cheap feat. Fiber networks are expensive to build out, and cable internet coverage is actually decreasing. Although 5G home internet is growing in availability and popularity, its speeds and reliability are at the mercy of tower proximity and network congestion. Satellite internet has poised itself as a viable solution to rural broadband woes but not the single-satellite, geostationary services from Hughesnet and Viasat, which have been around for years with minimal improvements. Instead: an entire constellation of high-tech, low-orbiting satellites. Starlink has shown that, in numbers -- specifically, over 7,000 -- low Earth orbit, or LEO, satellites can deliver widespread broadband availability while lowering latency, increasing speed potential and eliminating restrictive data caps of traditional satellite internet. The challenge of getting such an ambitious project off the ground requires endless approvals and expert teams working together. In July 2020, Amazon received approval from the Federal Communications Commission to deploy and operate Project Kuiper (pronounced ki -- as in kite -- per) satellites. On April 28, after a delay because of the weather, Amazon finally kicked off Project Kuiper by launching 27 low-Earth orbit satellites. There's still a way to go before the satellite internet service is ready for home use, but this is a promising step forward for the tech and e-commerce giant as it enters the ultra-competitive satellite industry space. Here's everything to know about Project Kuiper as of May 2025. Locating local internet providers Amazon's Project Kuiper Internet Satellites Take Flight on ULA Rocket Amazon's Project Kuiper Internet Satellites Take Flight on ULA Rocket Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 4:17 Loaded : 2.31% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 4:17 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Amazon's Project Kuiper Internet Satellites Take Flight on ULA Rocket What is Project Kuiper? Project Kuiper is Amazon's initiative to increase broadband availability worldwide by deploying thousands of low-orbiting satellites that send and receive internet signals worldwide. The service is designed for residential and commercial applications, offering a high-speed connection for use in homes, businesses, government agencies, and other institutions, particularly those in underserved areas. Amazon has made an effort to emphasize Project Kuiper as "affordable broadband." Though we're not sure what the monthly or up-front costs will be, expect it to be competitively priced compared to Starlink. Amazon made a point of emphasizing that the equipment will be accessible, design-wise and cost-wise. In addition to thousands of advanced LEO satellites, approximately 7,000 orbiting somewhere between 367 to 391 miles high, Project Kuiper will leverage a network of ground-based antennas, fiber connections and customer terminals to deliver service. Amazon Amazon claims that the standard customer terminal, which you would use to receive fixed home internet service, has the potential to deliver speeds up to 400 megabits per second. That's a good deal faster than current speed expectations from Starlink (25 to 100Mbps with standard service). Commercial terminals boast an even faster speed potential, up to 1 gigabit per second. Sounds great. So, when can I sign up? Not for another year or so, at least. When will Project Kuiper internet be available? Once a few hundred satellites are in orbit, the ability to broadcast broadband doesn't take long, though Amazon has not yet announced an official start date for service. "We plan to begin rolling out Project Kuiper commercial service next year [2025], starting with service demonstrations for our earliest enterprise customers, then consumer beta testing and then general availability later in the year," a spokesperson from Amazon said. So, Project Kuiper's home internet service could arrive sometime in late 2025. Don't plan to cancel your current internet service just yet. Not everyone across the US will be eligible to sign up right away. Regional availability will vary Project Kuiper's satellite fleet will operate within 56 degrees north and south of the equator. That covers most of North America (but excludes much of Alaska), and nearly all of South America, plus a great deal of Africa, Australia, Asia and Europe. Not all projected coverage areas will be immediately eligible for service at launch. Amazon hasn't yet revealed which locations will be the first to receive eligibility, but did state that "regions will come online quickly as we add satellites to the constellation." So far, so good for Project Kuiper Amazon has successfully launched the first test satellites for its Project Kuiper broadband satellite network. Amazon Project Kuiper launched two prototype satellites in October 2023 and, within 30 days of launch, reportedly achieved a 100% success rate. The satellites were later intentionally removed from orbit in May 2024 as part of Project Kuiper's commitment to space safety and sustainability. In December 2023, Project Kuiper secured 80 rockets from four launch providers: Arianespace, SpaceX (yes, the parent company of Starlink), ULA and, of course, the Jeff Bezos-founded Blue Origin. Amazon launched its first 27 rockets into orbit on April 28. The rocket acquisition, launch and FCC approvals set Project Kuiper up to begin offering broadband for commercial and residential use sometime in 2025. CNET will keep you updated on significant developments, including when and where Amazon's Project Kuiper internet will be available for residential use in the US, what speeds you can expect and how much it will cost.

Hughesnet Satellites Are Bringing Faster Internet to Rural America
Hughesnet Satellites Are Bringing Faster Internet to Rural America

CNET

time5 days ago

  • Business
  • CNET

Hughesnet Satellites Are Bringing Faster Internet to Rural America

One of the biggest names in satellite internet, Hughesnet, will now be able to offer faster speeds. Many Americans in rural areas rely on satellite internet based on where they live. For many, particularly those in remote rural areas, satellite internet is the only way to get online. Availability is pretty much the only advantage to satellite internet, but customers often have to settle for higher pricing, lower speeds, limited data allowances and high latency (the communication delay between two points, in this case, your home and the satellite when sending and receiving data) compared with other internet connection types. However, Hughesnet hopes to alleviate some of satellite internet's shortcomings by introducing faster speed tiers that include more data. Pricing is relatively low, starting at $50 to $95 per month, but the faster speeds and increased data make for a much better value than previous Hughesnet plans. There is also the potential for lower latency, low enough to support online gaming, thanks to Hughesnet's Fusion technology, which combines satellite internet with low-latency fixed wireless connections. The launch of Jupiter 3, a bus-sized geostationary satellite, made these new service tiers possible. It offers up to four times the download speed than previous standard Hughesnet plans with a jump from 25Mbps to 100Mbps. Upload speeds will see a less impressive spike, rising from 3Mbps to 5Mbps. Data allowances, meanwhile, rise from between 15GB and 100GB per month to between 100GB and 200GB. The new offerings won't have anyone switching from their fiber-optic connection or cable internet service. But they could make quite a difference in rural internet quality and capabilities for people located beyond the reach of cable and fiber service. These faster speeds give rural residents the potential to do more with their internet, like connecting more devices or streaming TV in a higher picture quality with less buffering, and the increased data means they can do more online before hitting a data cap. Hughesnet has a great track record for delivering its advertised speeds, earning praise from CNET as the best satellite ISP for reliable speeds. That's an encouraging sign that it will also deliver on the new, faster speed tiers. Here's a look at those plans. Locating local internet providers New Hughesnet plans and pricing Plan Starting monthly Max download speeds Max upload speeds Priority data Equipment fee Select $50 ($75 after 12 months) 50Mbps 5Mbps 100GB $15 monthly or $300 purchase fee Elite $65 ($90 after 12 months) 100Mbps 5Mbps 200GB $15 monthly or $300 purchase fee Fusion $95 ($120 after 12 months) 100Mbps 5Mbps 200GB $20 monthly or $450 purchase fee Show more (0 item) Shop providers at my address Source: Hughes Network Systems. Elite and Fusion advertise the same speeds and data, so why the difference in price? Select and Elite plans use a satellite-only connection. The lengthy time it takes your modem to communicate with the satellite (latency) can affect browsing, streaming and video conferencing while online gaming is virtually impossible. The Fusion plan, on the other hand, communicates with local fixed wireless towers, creating a satellite/fixed wireless hybrid service. Max speeds and data are the same, but latency is lower, supposedly low enough to support online gaming. So the main advantage to the Fusion plan — and why it costs a bit more — is the technology shortens the distance your data has to travel, resulting in a better experience in many applications while also making online gaming possible. A speed boost where it counts The upload speed jump from 3Mbps to 5Mbps in the new Hughesnet satellite internet offerings isn't particularly impressive, but it's worth noting the typical household makes far more use of download speeds compared with upload speeds. Download speeds determine how fast you can download data, such as pulling up a review of the latest iPhone, browsing social media or streaming TV and music. Upload speeds come into play when sending information to the internet, like posting to social media or hopping on a video call (though both activities often require upload speeds of less than 3Mbps). So it makes sense that download speeds would get a bigger boost while upload speeds remain relatively unchanged. That's what we use the internet for the most, so the increase from 25Mbps to 50Mbps or 100Mbps is a welcome improvement. Again, 100Mbps isn't remarkably fast, especially compared with the new wave of multigigabit plans which offer speeds up to 10,000Mbps and higher, but someone wise once noted that speed is relative. For those in rural areas with painfully slow DSL speeds or satellite speeds, 100Mbps could unlock new ways to use their connection. An upgrade from 25Mbps to 100Mbps may mean the difference between streaming in standard definition or HD and possibly 4K picture quality. Faster speeds will also allow you to add more smart devices to your network, such as streaming sticks, security cameras or a new Alexa speaker, without compromising the connection quality of other devices. Faster speeds demand more data Say you put the new speeds to the test and switch the Netflix streaming quality from standard to high definition. Your stream went from using about 1GB of data per hour to 3GB. Acknowledging the greater data need that comes with faster speed, Hughesnet increased its monthly priority data allowances to help accommodate new and increased internet activity the faster speeds allow. The Hughesnet tiers offer 100GB or 200GB of data each month, compared to the 15GB to 100GB limit of past plans, which is a good chunk of data, but many households will likely reach and surpass that limit with an average monthly use of around 652GB. Exceeding your priority data allowance won't result in added fees — Hughesnet plans have been and still are unlimited — but using standard unlimited data could come with slower speeds for the remainder of your billing cycle. If you can't handle slower speeds, additional data "tokens" can be purchased in blocks of 2GB to 50GB for $3 to $50. New internet before the new year? Hughesnet introduced the new plans at the start of 2024. Available speeds and access to Hughesnet's Fusion service vary by location. Existing Hughesnet customers may be eligible to upgrade their plan, but the change in service comes with a new 12-month contract or fulfillment of the current term agreement, whichever is longer. Read our full Hughesnet review to learn more about its satellite home internet service and see availability in your area. Further up the page, you can use our service check tool to discover plans and providers, including Hughesnet, that are available near you.

Amazon's Project Kuiper Promised to Be a Big Satellite Internet Competitor. When Will It Be Available?
Amazon's Project Kuiper Promised to Be a Big Satellite Internet Competitor. When Will It Be Available?

Yahoo

time07-03-2025

  • Business
  • Yahoo

Amazon's Project Kuiper Promised to Be a Big Satellite Internet Competitor. When Will It Be Available?

Bringing broadband to remote, rural and underserved areas is no easy or cheap feat. Fiber networks are expensive to build out, and cable internet coverage is actually decreasing. Although 5G home internet" target="_self is growing in availability and popularity, its speeds and reliability are at the mercy of tower proximity and network congestion. Satellite internet" target="_self has poised itself as a viable solution to rural broadband woes, but not the single-satellite, geostationary services from Hughesnet and Viasat, which have been around for years with minimal improvements. Instead: an entire constellation of high-tech, low-orbiting satellites. Starlink has shown that, in numbers -- specifically, over 7,000 -- low Earth orbit, or LEO, satellites can deliver widespread broadband availability while lowering latency, increasing speed potential and eliminating restrictive data caps of traditional satellite internet. The challenge of getting such an ambitious project off the ground requires endless approvals and expert teams working together. In July 2020, Amazon received approval from the Federal Communications Commission to deploy and operate Project Kuiper (pronounced ki -- as in kite -- per) satellites. Since then, the tech and e-commerce giant has been busy building its broadband business, but there's still a way to go before it's ready for home use. Here's what to know about Project Kuiper as of March 2025. Project Kuiper is Amazon's initiative to increase broadband availability worldwide by deploying thousands of low-orbiting satellites that send and receive internet signals worldwide. The service is designed for residential and commercial applications, offering a high-speed connection for use in homes, businesses, government agencies, and other institutions, particularly those in underserved areas. Amazon has made an effort to emphasize Project Kuiper as "affordable broadband." Though we're not sure what the monthly or up-front costs will be, expect it to be competitively priced compared to Starlink. In addition to thousands of advanced LEO satellites, approximately 6,000 orbiting somewhere between 367 to 391 miles high, Project Kuiper will leverage a network of ground-based antennas, fiber connections and customer terminals to deliver service. Amazon claims that the standard customer terminal, which you would use to receive fixed home internet service, has the potential to deliver speeds up to 400 megabits per second. That's a good deal faster than current speed expectations from Starlink (25 to 100Mbps with standard service). Commercial terminals boast an even faster speed potential, up to 1 gigabit per second. Sounds great. So, when can I sign up? Not for another year or so, at least. According to an Amazon spokesperson, satellite manufacturing is underway at Amazon's production facility in Kirkland, Washington. The first launch of prototype satellites was in October 2023. The launch of the satellite constellation has been postponed a few times, though its expected to launch in 2025. Once a few hundred satellites are in orbit, the ability to broadcast broadband doesn't take long. 'We plan to begin rolling out Project Kuiper commercial service next year [2025], starting with service demonstrations for our earliest enterprise customers, then consumer beta testing and then general availability later in the year.' So, Project Kuiper's home internet service could arrive sometime in late 2025. Don't plan to cancel your current internet service just yet. Not everyone across the US will be eligible to sign up right away. Project Kuiper's satellite fleet will operate within 56 degrees north and south of the equator. That covers most of North America (but excludes much of Alaska), and nearly all of South America, plus a great deal of Africa, Australia, Asia and Europe. Not all projected coverage areas will be immediately eligible for service at launch. Amazon hasn't yet revealed which locations will be the first to receive eligibility, but did state that 'regions will come online quickly as we add satellites to the constellation.' Project Kuiper launched two prototype satellites in October 2023 and, within 30 days of launch, reportedly achieved a 100% success rate. The satellites were later intentionally removed from orbit in May 2024 as part of Project Kuiper's commitment to space safety and sustainability. In December 2023, Project Kuiper secured 80 rockets from four launch providers: Arianespace, SpaceX (yes, the parent company of Starlink), ULA and, of course, the Jeff Bezos-founded Blue Origin. The rocket acquisition and FCC approvals for satellite launches and operation set Project Kuiper up to begin offering broadband for commercial and residential use sometime in 2025. CNET will keep you updated on significant developments, including when and where Amazon's Project Kuiper internet will be available for residential use in the US, what speeds you can expect and how much it will cost.

Best Satellite Internet Providers for 2025
Best Satellite Internet Providers for 2025

Yahoo

time26-02-2025

  • Business
  • Yahoo

Best Satellite Internet Providers for 2025

Satellite internet is the only internet connection type with nearly 100% availability across all 50 states. In rural or hard-to-access areas, satellite internet is often an essential lifeline for connectivity. The main reason for that high availability is how it works: Satellite internet is a form of fixed wireless internet that links a home internet modem to a satellite in space. All you need to establish a connection is your satellite dish and a clear view of the sky. It is a solid alternative for those without access to wired options like DSL" target="_self, cable or fiber internet. Although satellite internet doesn't match the internet speed capabilities of fiber or cable internet, it plays a key role when internet access is vital (and the pandemic shed light on just how critical that internet access is). In most cases, your options for satellite internet will come down to one of three options: Starlink, Hughesnet and Viasat. So which of theses satellite internet providers is best? Starlink boasts the greatest potential, Hughesnet features the most reliable speeds, and Viasat's unlimited data plan could be very attractive to customers. To ensure you're getting the best broadband experience possible, we've carefully examined the available options, considering speeds, pricing, customer service, and overall value to put together your top internet options. Here's a quick look at how the best satellite internet providers compare. Read more: Is 5G Home Internet the Answer to Your Broadband Needs? Please note that the plans below show each provider's cheapest available tier. The max speed is the top advertised speed for that given plan, but it might not be available in your area. Overall, the best selection for you -- and the most cost-effective plan -- might be a different tier that provides a faster speed at a higher price but a better value. To more fully understand this value-based approach, check out CNET's guide to examining the cost per Mbps. Source: CNET analysis of provider data. Source: CNET analysis of provider data. Source: CNET analysis of provider data. Source: CNET analysis of provider data. Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it's impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. What's our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information, drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at It doesn't end there: We go to the FCC's website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP's service. As ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes, all information provided is accurate as of publication. Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions: Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds? Do customers get decent value for what they're paying? Are customers happy with their service? The answer to those questions is often layered and complex, but the providers who come closest to 'yes' on all three are the ones we recommend. To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page. Finding the right ISP for your household is not easy. This is especially true if you live in an underserved portion of the US. We recommend carefully considering your household's activities so you can better determine the download and upload speeds necessary to meet your needs. With that knowledge, you can better tackle plan pricing that will fit your budget and broadband demands. Finding the right internet plan for your household doesn't have to be complicated; check out CNET's 10 tips to help you get the most out of your internet service. Stay tuned for the latest developments with Starlink as it continues to exceed expectations for satellite internet and outpaces the likes of Hughesnet and Viasat. In July 2024, SpaceX rolled out the Starlink Mini, a satellite dish best suited for customers on the go. This product is an all-in-one mini satellite dish and router. Musk conducted a speed test that showed download speeds of up to 100Mbps and 11.5Mbps in uploads for the Starlink Mini, which is pretty fast for a mobile satellite internet connection. Reducing latency for customers nationwide has also been a big focus for Starlink, allowing for better videoconferencing, gaming and live streaming -- tasks previously difficult with slower speeds from competing satellite internet providers. According to Ookla's Q1 2024 speed test report, the latest available, Starlink's median download speed in the US was 64.54Mbps, which was a 13Mbps increase from the previous report. Viasat was in distant second place with 34.72Mbps download speeds and Hughesnet was in the rear at 15.87Mbps. Ookla's report mentions that Starlink users highly recommend the service and are happy with its internet connectivity. It's safe to say that expectations of how satellite internet can perform are beginning to change. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) It should also be mentioned that further competition in satellite internet will soon come from another multibillionaire, Jeff Bezos, as Amazon's Project Kuiper plans to enter the field. While nowhere near the stage that Starlink has achieved thus far, Project Kuiper is expected to be available for residential use in the latter half of 2025. Innovations from low-Earth-orbit satellites will be just one piece of the puzzle of better delivering the internet to the millions of households still unable to find a reliable broadband source. We'll keep this post updated as your options (hopefully) improve. Yes. Many broadband connection options may offer faster (and possibly cheaper) service than satellite internet. Cable internet provides connection through the same cables (often a hybrid fiber and copper line) that providers use to provide TV services. It's more reliable than satellite internet and offers faster download speeds. Most of the time, cable internet is bundled with TV to lure consumers into buying higher-priced packages. Companies like Cox, Spectrum and Xfinity offer cable internet. DSL, or digital subscriber line, uses telephone lines to connect users. Companies like AT&T, CenturyLink and Frontier offer DSL Internet. The good news is those copper lines are prevalent across the country. The not-so-good news is that download speeds typically fall short of what cable internet offers and usually fall short of FCC broadband standards. In some cases, your speeds might even be slower than satellite internet. 5G home internet and fixed wireless go hand-in-hand: 5G home internet services are fixed wireless internet services. Not all fixed wireless services are 5G home internet offerings. Are you confused yet? Fixed wireless service means the connection between your provider and home is not wired. That fixed wireless connection can come via cellular networks (including 3G, 4G, 4G LTE and 5G) and by satellite. Fixed wireless networks tend to be slower and more laggy than wired connections. The promise of 5G home internet -- from Starry, T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet -- is speeds that compare favorably to cable connections. Fiber internet is the gold standard of the broadband world. Often referred to as "future proof," fiber internet offers some of the fastest plans available and features symmetrical download and upload speeds. It's more reliable than cable and is less prone to being affected by peak usage times or congestion. The only drawback is the expense and difficulty of creating a fiber network: rural customers are not likely to get fiber installed in their homes as most fiber internet providers concentrate efforts around major cities. Companies like AT&T, Google Fiber and Verizon Fios offer fiber-optic internet. To find out more about this connection, read our fiber connectivity review. Mobile hotspots" target="_self also use cellular networks, similar to fixed wireless internet, but they are not "fixed." You can use a hotspot at multiple locations and they aren't dependent on your home address. Despite the wide range of options available, each connection type varies in terms of availability, pricing and speeds. Make sure to research and compare the different options to ensure you choose the one that best meets your needs and budget. Satellite internet is a fairly reliable internet connection option for rural or less urbanized areas. It may come with slower speeds than cable and fiber internet providers, but it doesn't rely on underground wiring like other connection types, which makes it accessible to more locations. On the flip side, bad weather can cause outages or spotty connections to a greater degree than other modes of broadband. If you live in a remote or rural location, satellite internet may be your best (and possibly only) option for connection. It is the one type of broadband available to people in the rural areas of all 50 states, making it a solid option when other types of connectivity are unavailable. The price of satellite internet can fluctuate based on your location. If you're in an area where providers are still developing, the price might be higher for connectivity. For Hughesnet, Viasat and Starlink, prices range from $50 to $5,000. In some cases, like Starlink, the monthly price can also vary based on whether you're in a high-demand or low-demand area. We recommend inputting your address on various providers' websites to determine which will offer you the best value at your location. It depends on your internet provider and your plan. Starlink boasts the fastest speeds out of Hughesnet and Viasat. However, even with speeds topping out at 220Mbps, it's still no match to what cable or fiber offers. Fiber ISPs like Ziply Fiber and AT&T offer multi-gig plans that reach up to 10 and 5 gigabits, respectively. Most cable providers like Spectrum and Xfinity offer gigabit plans. At present, satellite connections don't match those speeds. In addition, cable and fiber are far more reliable than satellite. Potentially, yes. If you're a current user of Starlink internet service, you're experiencing a broadband connection with higher maximum download and upload speeds than Viasat (220Mbps/20Mbps compared to 150Mbps/3Mbps). Starlink also has lower latency than Viasat (25-60ms vs. 450-700ms), making gaming and other online activities that require fast response times much more feasible on Starlink than Viasat. Starlink also removed its waitlist throughout the country, which can be seen from its coverage map. Potential customers can now access their products without waiting several months to receive their orders. Pricing will depend on your chosen plan and your address, Viasat is cheaper than Starlink. Viasat customers can expect to pay anywhere between $100 to $150 monthly vs. $140 to $1,500 (Priority) and $150 to $5,000 (Mobile) at Starlink. Suppose you're in a rural or underserved area with few options for internet connectivity. In that case, Viasat can get you connected and may be a cheaper alternative, whereas Starlink could be an option down the road. Technically, Hughesnet and Viasat do not. Each claims to offer "unlimited data" because neither charges overage fees, but each has a set data limit for its plans. If you hit that data limit before your monthly billing cycle ends, there won't be monetary penalties, but you will experience much slower, throttled speeds for the remainder of that month. Your data may not be capped, but I would call that practice a limitation. Starlink offers truly unlimited data to its standard users. That significant advantage over its competitors changed for some customers in April 2023 when Starlink introduced its own data cap for priority users. The limit is a sizable 2 terabytes of data per month (well above the data limits of Hughesnet and Viasat), but it's still a significant change from unlimited data. You can access more data if you upgrade to the Mobile Priority plan, but that's going to cost you anywhere between $250 and $5,000 a month. Yes. Starlink customers can expect download speeds from 5Mbps to 220Mbps. CNET's John Kim tested the service and experienced average download speeds of around 78Mbps; Ookla clocked its median download speed in early 2023 at 65Mbps. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis) Hughesnet, which relies on satellites in a much higher orbit than Starlink uses -- which means data takes a little longer to travel back and forth -- offers plans with maximum download speeds of 100Mbps. That's not as fast as Viasat's unleashed plan with speeds of up to 150Mbps, but both are no match for Starlink. Although both are satellite internet service providers, Telesat is a Canadian-owned company, and OneWeb is made for those in the UK. Telesat and OneWeb are not options for US residents. Since streaming videos requires more bandwidth, the best satellite internet for streaming must have a high enough download speed to support the action. We recommend Starlink for streaming since the maximum download speeds are higher than Hughesnet and Viasat's. With gaming, you'll want a provider with lower latency. That means a shorter delay in your data getting to the game's server and back -- less lag. Hughesnet and Viasat admit their services are not great for gaming, but Starlink boasts of lower lag (due to the lower orbit of its satellites) and claims that gamers can successfully use its service. CNET's own John Kim tried gaming using Starlink's service and was pleasantly surprised. Regular weather, like sunny, cloudy or rainy skies, shouldn't impact your internet. Heavy thunderstorms or snow may cause interference with your signal and cause slower speeds or a temporary loss of connection. Even if the weather is fine at your location, it might not be where the satellite is located. Your internet service should return to normal as soon as the weather passes. To learn more, read our guide on how to weather-proof your internet.

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