Starlink Speeds Are Slowing Down As More People Sign Up.

After building momentum during the first half of the year, Elon Musk's satellite internet service has hit a snag.

SpaceX's ISP arm, Starlink, saw its speeds worldwide slow down as its popularity grew, according to a quarterly report by internet speed measurement company Ookla. Since the second quarter of 2021, Starlink's median download speeds have declined in every country Ookla tracks (such as Canada, the U.K., the U.S., and New Zealand).

According to Musk's satellite internet project, the drops ranged from 9 percent to 54 percent, depending on the country. During its lowest point in the last year, Starlink users in the U.S. were able to download around 60Mbps, which is more than enough for most people's daily internet needs. That said, it's still a far cry from June's 90Mbps figure. Other countries, such as New Zealand and France, recorded median speeds of around 100Mbps in these latest measurements, an excellent figure by satellite internet standards.

Ookla's report noted that the service is likely buckling a bit under pressure from a growing user base. A total of 400,000 users have signed up for Starlink in May, and the service is now available on Royal Caribbean cruise ships. A few users reported price drops in August, too, which may have contributed to the increase in subscribers. When T-Mobile customers are able to connect to Starlink's satellites via their mobile devices in late 2023, the system will be even more stressed.

Do you think it’ll even out?
Or will Starlink continue to decline?

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