Satellite and in particular LEO satellite, is experiencing a renaissance in the telecommunications sector. The demand for ubiquitous connectivity is higher than ever, with users expecting seamless internet access regardless of location. Satellites are uniquely positioned to meet this need, offering coverage in remote areas, over oceans, and even during emergencies when terrestrial networks may be compromised. This makes them a crucial component in helping bridge the digital divide, and ensuring communications continuity during outages.
Advancements in satellite technology are making it more efficient and cost-effective. The development of smaller, more powerful satellites, along with innovations in ground station technology, have reduced the barriers to entry for both providers and consumers. This has led to increased competition and innovation in the sector, with new players offering a wider range of services, from high-speed internet to IoT connectivity. As a result, satellites are no longer just a niche solution but a key component of the global telecommunications infrastructure.
Airlines are using in-flight connectivity to differentiate their service and create brand value
Just as hotels have progressively integrated Wi-Fi connectivity as a standard amenity for their guests, in-flight Wi-Fi is transitioning from a novelty to a convenience to an expected service.
Reflecting this increasing expectation, the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) this year incorporated “Quality of in-flight Wi-Fi” into its benchmarks for the airline industry. In-flight Wi-Fi placed 21st out of the 21 benchmarks, ranking lower than baggage handling, seat comfort, and even airline food.
To assess this performance, we analyzed our Speedtest data collected during Q1 2025. We examined performance for individual airlines and for in-flight connectivity service providers.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
In-flight Wi-Fi for the majority of users compares very poorly with their experience on terrestrial networks
Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways stand out as the best performing airlines based on our data
Starlink’s low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation drives performance for leading airline Wi-Fi
Expect airlines to ramp up their efforts — in-flight connectivity can be a key point of differentiation for travelers, helps support the premium brand value that many international airlines aspire to create, and is an opportunity to monetize a literally captive audience
In-flight Wi-Fi Speed and Latency Performance by Airline
Speedtest data, Q1 2025, airlines sorted by median
Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways use Starlink’s low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation to deliver their inflight Wi-Fi, resulting in download speeds and upload speeds and latency that are better than the other airlines.
Many other airlines are also providing very usable speeds. Spirit Airlines, Air Canada, Delta Airlines, Breeze Airlines, American Airlines and Aeromexico all provide 10th percentile (where 90% of the results are faster) download speeds above 10 megabits per second (Mbps) and very respectable median download speeds. Furthermore, upload speeds on most of these airlines tend to support basic uplink connectivity needs like emailing. However, when the upload speed is observed alongside the many high-latency results, real-time uses like gaming or video calling are likely not possible (to the relief of all other passengers).
Lufthansa, at the other end of the download speed ranking, is limited by the Deutsche Telekom LTE ground-to-air network. While Lufthansa may offer other connectivity options, our data shows a significant number of its passengers are still connecting via this poorer-performing service.
Likewise, given the premium brand reputation of carriers like Japan Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and Cathay Pacific, they likely offer better-performing connectivity services on other aircraft. However, as with Lufthansa, our data reveals that a notable portion of their passengers are still encountering a substandard Wi-Fi experience.
Qatar Airways presents additional insight as, along with Starlink as one of its connectivity service providers, it also operates planes with geo-stationary orbit GEO connectivity. This is most evident in the multiserver latency results. While Qatar’s median latency is similar to Hawaiian Airlines, its 10th percentile (the laggiest experience) is much higher, keeping it in the company of other GEO-supported airlines.
Connectivity Service Providers
In our Speedtest samples of in-flight connectivity service providers we collect a mix of GEO, LEO, medium earth orbit (MEO), multi-orbit / hybrid network providers, and even ground-based LTE. Furthermore, the category includes satellite service integrators. These integrators do not own or operate their own satellite constellations. Instead they partner with satellite operators for capacity while managing the business relationship with the airline, including installing and managing the in-flight connectivity system on the aircraft.
In-flight Connectivity Service Providers and Associated Airlines
Deutsche Telekom
Air France, Cathay Pacific, Condor, Lufthansa
Hughes (SES)
Spirit Airlines
Inmarsat (Viasat)
Air New Zealand, Qatar Airways
Intelsat
Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines
MTN Satellite Communications
Southwest Airlines
Nelco (PAC/Intelsat)
Air India
Panasonic Avionics Corporation
Aer Lingus, Air France, American Airlines, ANA, Asiana Airlines, British Airways, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Iberia Airlines, ITA Airways, Japan Airlines, KLM, Korean Air, Malaysian Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, SWISS Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, Thai Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, VoeAzul, WestJet, Zipair Tokyo
SITA Switzerland
Qatar Airways
SpaceX Starlink
Hawaiian Airlines, Qatar Airways
Türk Telekom
Turkish Airlines
Viasat
Aeromexico, American Airlines, Breeze Airlines, Delta Airlines, EL AL Airlines, Icelandair, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
* Based on Speedtest data samples, Q1 2025; not based on active or announced partnerships
Deutsche Telekom is in the European Aviation Network, a hybrid network that combines a GEO satellite from Viasat/Inmarsat with a ground-based LTE network across Europe.
Hughes, an EchoStar company, provides GEO satellite internet for consumers and enterprises. In late 2022 it began offering “Hughes Fusion,” a multi-orbit in-flight connectivity solution that can simultaneously communicate with both GEO and LEO satellites. Hughes frequently collaborates with European satellite operator SES, a GEO and MEO provider.
Intelsat provides in-flight connectivity through its fleet of GEO satellites and offers a multi-orbit solution that combines its GEO network with access to a LEO constellation. Intelsat is in the process of being acquired by SES.
MTN Satellite Communications, primarily known for its services in the maritime and remote land-based sectors, also provides in-flight connectivity. The company leverages capacity from various satellite operators across different orbits, both GEO and LEO.
Nelco, a Tata Group enterprise, has partnered with Intelsat to offer its GEO-based connectivity services to airlines operating in Indian airspace.
Panasonic Avionics Corporation (PAC) – a provider of in-flight entertainment and connectivity systems, does not operate its own satellite constellation. Instead, it partners with various satellite operators, including those with GEO and LEO networks (eg, EutelsatOneWeb), to offer multi-orbit connectivity service to airline customers.
SITA Switzerland, a multinational information technology company, partners with satellite network operators, to deliver passenger broadband.
SpaceX Starlink is rapidly expanding its LEO satellite network, offering high-speed, low-latency internet service to airlines, and is being adopted by several carriers.
Türk Telekom has been providing in-flight connectivity through partnerships including Panasonic Avionics.
Viasat operates a constellation of high-capacity GEO satellites. Its services are used by numerous airlines globally. Viasat acquired Inmarsat, another GEO satellite network, in May 2023.
In-flight Wi-Fi Speed and Latency Performance by Connectivity Service Provider
Speedtest data, Q1 2025, provider sorted by median
The advantages of its dense LEO constellation compared to the GEOs make SpaceX’s Starlink the clear standout in speeds and latency. Its medians are 152.37 Mbps download speed, 24.16 Mbps upload speed, and 44 milliseconds (ms) multi-server latency.
Hughes and Intelsat, with their multi-orbit offering, deliver solid median download speeds – 84.55 Mbps and 61.61 Mbps, respectively. Viasat performs well on download speed, too, at 50.38 Mbps, given it is a GEO provider.
On the other end of the scale, the LTE ground network of Deutsche Telekom delivers a minimally usable median download speed of 4.14 Mbps. Passengers on these flights may have access to GEO services (which, for example, we see in our data with Air France, though not in sufficient sample size to include in this article), but, as stated above, given we record Speedtest samples on Deutsche Telekom means that passengers are connecting with very slow internet speeds.
Looking more closely at slower download speeds, the 10th percentile reveals a similar pattern to the median, with Starlink still performing well at 65.31 Mbps, and Hughes and Viasat still managing usable download speeds of 28.29 Mbps and 12.78 Mbps, respectively. The rest of the provider speeds tail off and down into the single-digit Mbps, and raises a question: is it the satellite constellation capacity or the onboard Wi-Fi technology (or both) that is the limiting factor? The question of onboard Wi-Fi technology is taken up in the conclusion to this research article.
Examining the uplink, besides Starlink at 24.16 Mbps, only Intelsat provides adequate median upload speeds at 9.96 Mbps. Next, Panasonic Avionics, Turk Telekom (also PAC) and Nelco (also PAC) neatly cluster – 3.65, 3.40 and 2.60 Mbps, respectively – followed by Deutsche Telekom at 2.53 Mbps.
Latency is the starkest separation between LEO and GEO, which is obvious given the orbital altitude differences in distance between them is roughly 60 times or more. Bearing this in mind, Starlink’s median multiserver latency of 44 ms would otherwise seem an outlier compared with all other providers, ranging from 667 ms to 839 ms.
Nowhere to go but up
In-flight connectivity isn’t seamless. Depending on airline routes or models of airplanes, different connectivity service providers may be used (or occasionally restricted by governments when crossing over certain territories). Moreover, old equipment on and in the airplanes takes time and expense to upgrade.
However, the upgrades are happening as many airlines see value and opportunity to provide extended services, along with better Wi-FI. For example, United Airlines is not just moving its entire fleet to Starlink for better performance, but also to deepen its customer loyalty relationships. “Access will be free for all MileagePlus customers and includes game-changing inflight entertainment experiences like streaming services, shopping, gaming and more.” SAS is also working with Starlink to enhance its “gate-to-gate” connectivity and offer free high-speed Wi-Fi by the end of this year.
Not all airlines are selecting Starlink. Also announced this year, American Airlines has aligned itself with Viasat and Intelsat, while Delta has gotten on board with Viasat and Hughes, deplaning Intelsat.
Another example of improvement, this time inside the airplane, is Panasonic Avionics offering Wi-Fi 6E. Wi-Fi 6E adds the 6 GHz frequency band to prior Wi-Fi generations (that offered 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), which has more channels and less interference than older Wi-Fi devices.
Finally, competition is heating up. The likes of Project Kuiper and, perhaps, AST SpaceMobile will add new LEO options, where we see the leading LEO Starlink performing very well in our Speedtest data. Intention to provide “direct-to-device” connectivity to wireless customers from the mobile network operators, helps support the scale of the capital-intensive business case for launching rockets and orbiting satellites.
Watch this space
We will be revisiting this topic soon with updated information and insights. If you are an airline or an in-flight connectivity service provider, we’d like to hear from you to ensure we’re capturing and reflecting your passengers’ Wi-Fi connection experience.
Ookla assists ISPs, venue owners, and companies in designing Wi-Fi networks, monitoring their performance, and optimizing them. Please contact us to learn more about Speedtest Intelligence and Ekahau.
Ookla retains ownership of this article including all of the intellectual property rights, data, content graphs and analysis. This article may not be quoted, reproduced, distributed or published for any commercial purpose without prior consent. Members of the press and others using the findings in this article for non-commercial purposes are welcome to publicly share and link to report information with attribution to Ookla.
Kerry Baker leads Ookla's research and content efforts in North America. He has over 20 years experience in the telecom industry, primarily at T-Mobile studying network performance benchmarking and customer experience. Kerry also has founder’s experience with four technology-related startups. Kerry holds masters degrees from the University of Washington in Business and International Political Economics.
Speedtest data highlights the early usage of T-Mobile’s T-Satellite service, which works on most new iOS and Android smartphones released in the past 2-4 years. The service is available to T-Mobile customers as well as customers of AT&T, Verizon and other providers.
Editor’s note: This article was updated on October 17 to include information about devices connecting to Starlink that also registered as having active service.
T-Mobile first announced its satellite plans with partner SpaceX in August 2022, just before Apple unveiled its own satellite partnership with Globalstar. Fast forward to 2025 and T-Mobile officially launched its satellite texting service with SpaceX on July 23.
Now, Ookla Speedtest® data provides a look at the early usage of T-Mobile’s T-Satellite service across T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon and FirstNet users. (FirstNet is for public-safety customers and runs over AT&T’s network.) The below data is derived from Android smartphones that registered with SpaceX Starlink satellites at some point between December 2024 and September 2025.
Key Takeaways:
T-Mobile customers accounted for roughly 60% of all connections. When only counting devices that reported having active service at the time of their Starlink connection, that figure rose to 70.8%.
Los Angeles County, California, was the country’s most popular location for T-Satellite activity. This massive county contains both the city of Los Angeles and Angeles National Forest, an area known for its rugged mountains, steep canyons and extensive trail systems. It’s also where T-Mobile deployed free T-Satellite text messaging services in the early days of 2025, amid multiple wildfires.
The median download and upload speeds of Starlink’s fixed internet service showed no signs of degradation amid the testing and launch of T-Mobile’s T-Satellite service this year. That’s likely due to the fact that Starlink’s smartphone-capable satellites are different from those supporting its fixed internet service.
T-Satellite Rockets into the Commercial Marketplace
Direct to device (D2D) technology connects smartphones directly to satellites for text messaging and other services, primarily in outdoor, rural areas where no other connections exist. Those satellites are hundreds of miles above the Earth, traveling thousands of miles an hour. Thus, such phone-to-satellite connections represent an impressive technological feat considering standard, terrestrial cellular networks connect smartphones to stationary cell towers that are on the ground, usually just a few miles away.
Apple, via Globalstar’s satellites and spectrum holdings, pioneered the D2D market. Every iPhone since the iPhone 14, introduced in 2022, can send and receive text messages through these satellites. In September, Apple expanded D2D into its lineup of smartwatches.
But Apple isn’t the only D2D player to achieve liftoff.
T-Mobile first unveiled its satellite ambitions in 2022, via a public press conference featuring outgoing T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert and SpaceX’s Elon Musk. The companies promised a service that could connect smartphones directly to SpaceX’s Starlink satellites via a sliver of T-Mobile’s licensed spectrum holdings. Unlike Apple and Globalstar’s offering, this setup doesn’t require users to purchase a new phone.
SpaceX began launching satellites in support of its D2D service starting in early 2024.
Then, in February of 2025, T-Mobile launched a beta test of its SpaceX-powered T-Satellite text messaging service, complete with a high-profile Super Bowl advertisement. Importantly, T-Mobile offered the beta service for free, for three months, to its own customers as well as customers of its rivals, AT&T and Verizon. T-Mobile said it gradually added users to the service as part of its testing efforts, eventually gaining 2 million signups for the beta and 30,000 daily users, including “hundreds of thousands” of customers from AT&T and Verizon.
Finally, T-Mobile commercially launched its T-Satellite messaging service in July 2025, with around 650 Starlink satellites. The offering is now available at no extra cost to T-Mobile customers on the operator’s Experience Beyond plan (which starts at $100 per month). For other customers – including T-Mobile customers on other plans, as well as those of AT&T and Verizon – it’s available for an extra $10 per month. Non-T-Mobile customers can access the service via an eSIM.
Ookla Speedtest data captured throughout 2025 shows growing interest in T-Satellite:
Weekly Count of Devices Connected to Starlink D2D
From Speedtest data, December 2024 – September 2025
This is a chart that shows the growth of T-Mobile's T-Satellite.
As of September 2025, T-Mobile customers remained the biggest group of users connecting to SpaceX’s D2D satellites. But AT&T customers also show links to those satellites:
Percent share of Starlink D2D Device Connections, Active and Non Active Devices
From Speedtest data, December 2024 – September 2025
This is a chart that shows Starlink D2D Device connections. AT&T: 34%. T-Mobile: 60.9%
However, when only counting the Android devices that reported having active service (rather than counting both devices with active service as well as devices without) the figures are a bit different:
Percent share of Starlink D2D Connections on Devices with Active Service
From Speedtest data, December 2024 – October 2025
This fluctuation may simply be due to the fact that D2D is a relatively new technology and therefore device settings may vary depending on the gadget’s make, model, and operator settings.
Also, it’s possible that Verizon customers aren’t showing as much interest in T-Satellite because of Verizon’s 2024 agreement with Skylo. Skylo doesn’t operate its own satellites, but it does purchase connectivity from those that do, including Viasat, Ligado Networks, TerreStar and EchoStar.
Verizon began offering Skylo-powered text messaging in emergency situations in January 2025 on Samsung Galaxy S25 series smartphones. Since then it has added support for newer Google Pixel phones, and it expanded the service into regular, nonemergency situations.
AT&T, meanwhile, has an agreement with satellite operator AST SpaceMobile. That company hopes to begin offering intermittent satellite connections to AT&T and Verizon customers starting later this year. AST SpaceMobile has promised more continuous service in 2026 as it adds more satellites to its planned constellation.
National Forests and National Parks are Top Locations for D2D Users
This interactive map displays the locations where Speedtest data showed a Starlink D2D connection over the course of 2025:
And here is a list of the top five U.S. counties by total D2D device connections over the course of 2025:
Los Angeles County, California
Larimer County, Colorado
Teton County, Wyoming
Mohave County, Arizona
Mineral County, Montana
That Los Angeles County is the most popular location for T-Satellite D2D connections is interesting. Although the city of Los Angeles sits in the southern portion of Los Angeles County, California, the Angeles National Forest sits in the northern part. This remote area contains several wilderness zones, including the Cucamonga Wilderness, Magic Mountain Wilderness, and Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness, as well as a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail.
Cellular coverage throughout the northern portion of Los Angeles County is poor or nonexistant:
Los Angeles County has also been the scene of several major wildfires this year, including the Palisades and Eaton Fires in January 2025. In one of its first public D2D forays, T-Mobile delivered free Starlink D2D messaging to 198,000 users in areas affected by those January wildfires.
Other top D2D locations in the U.S. feature geographic characteristics similar to that of Los Angeles County. For example, Larimer County, Colorado, is located in the northern part of the state and contains parts of Rocky Mountain National Park and Roosevelt National Forest. Similarly, Teton County, Wyoming, is the home of Grand Teton National Park and a significant portion of Yellowstone National Park. And Mohave County, Arizona, includes parts of Grand Canyon National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area and the Mojave Desert. All of these areas sport at least some cellular dead zones.
D2D Connections are Relatively Rare
National forests and national parks are vacation destinations, visited occasionally. Based on Ookla Speedtest data, U.S. users are in reach of a cellular network the vast majority of the time.
Percent Time Spent Without Service
From Speedtest data, Full-Year 2024
This is a chart that shows percewnt time spent without service. AT&T T-Mobile and Verizon it's about 62% on Verizon for 4G, 27% for T-Mobile. For 5G it's 34% for Verizon and 69% for T-Mobile and 60% for AT&T. And it's like 2% for time spent with no service.
This data reflects the fact that homes, offices, coffee shops, schools and other familiar locations – in cities and towns with cellular coverage – are where most users spend the bulk of their time. It also highlights the impressive coverage provided by the 651,000 cell sites around the U.S. These sites – from massive cell towers to small cells atop light posts – cover most populated areas (while Wi-Fi covers most indoor locations).
The 2.79% of the time when the average U.S. user isn’t connected to a cellular network is where the D2D market can play. Clearly, 2.79% is a relatively small slice of time, but it may also represent the hours when an internet connection might be the most useful. Whether it’s a flat tire in the middle of nowhere or a broken ankle on a mountainside, users may place a value on a D2D satellite connection far in excess of the time they actually spend on it.
For example, in a recent survey of around 1,000 smartphone users, the financial analysts at TD Cowen found that more than 60% would pay at least $5 per month for some kind of satellite D2D service. That’s worth an additional $3 billion in additional annualized revenue for the U.S. wireless industry.
This is why so many companies are investing into the D2D industry. Lynk Global, AST SpaceMobile, Viasat and Iridium are among the companies planning or building satellite constellations for D2D services. Others, like Amazon’s Kuiper, may add D2D capabilities to their satellites at a later date.
That said, D2D market leaders aren’t standing still. SpaceX recently inked a $17 billion deal to acquire spectrum from EchoStar to help expand its D2D service beyond text messaging. And Apple is plowing $1.7 billion into its satellite partner Globalstar for the construction of a new satellite constellation with as-yet-unannounced capabilities.
SpaceX may have Big Plans for Starlink and D2D
SpaceX has been using its rocket-launching business to build out its Starlink satellite internet constellation, which now stretches across 8,000 satellites and roughly 7 million global fixed internet customers. SpaceX’s rockets add satellites to Starlink’s constellation on an almost daily basis.
However, Starlink’s D2D satellites are separate and apart from those dedicated to the company’s fixed internet business (although both types of satellites share the same backhaul links). This is why Starlink’s fixed internet speeds in the U.S. haven’t been affected by the testing and launch of T-Mobile’s T-Satellite service.
Starlink's U.S. Fixed Internet Monthly Performance
Speedtest Intelligence, January 2024 – August 2025
This is a chart that shows the growth in speeds of Starlink fixed internet. It was like 129 Mbps in August 2025.
This is important because SpaceX has so far received $478 million in grants from the U.S. government’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. That money is intended to bring fixed internet connections to almost 300,000 rural locations across the U.S.
Starlink’s D2D business currently runs over about 650 satellites. When those satellites orbit beyond the borders of the U.S., they’re used by other cellular operators in Starlink’s Direct to Cell program including Rogers (Canada), Optus (Australia), Telstra (Australia), KDDI (Japan), Entel (Chile & Peru) and Kyivstar (Ukraine). The service has proven so popular that New Zealand mobile operator One has reportedly expanded the amount of licensed spectrum it will run through Starlink’s satellites from 5 MHz to 15 MHz. And Starlink recently claimed 7 million D2D users globally.
But satellite-powered text messaging isn’t the end of Starlink’s D2D ambitions. Already T-Mobile and other Starlink partners are beginning to deploy some early data services. For T-Satellite users, those data services are restricted to select smartphone apps including AccuWeather, AllTrails, Google Maps, Google Messages, onX Backcountry, WhatsApp, X and Apple apps like Maps, Messages and Music. And T-Mobile is working to temper early users’ expectations.
“Satellite connections aren’t always instant – because satellites move overhead, your phone may need a moment to find one,” T-Mobile warns. “If you don’t see signal right away, just give it a little time and try again. This isn’t high speed data, but it’s built for what matters most off grid.”
SpaceX is working to speed things up. With the $17 billion in spectrum it purchased from EchoStar, SpaceX says it expects to ultimately provide D2D data speeds generally comparable to those on 4G LTE networks. According to Ookla Speedtest Intelligence, 4G operators in the U.S. provided 33 Mbps median download speeds and 4 Mbps median upload speeds in 2024.
SpaceX has already asked the FCC for permission to launch as many as 15,000 D2D satellites in pursuit of this objective. The company must also work with phone vendors to ensure its new spectrum licenses are supported in future phones.
Should existing cellular operators worry about all this? Maybe, according to SpaceX’s Elon Musk. When asked whether Starlink could become a global phone carrier in the future, “that would be one of the options,” Musk replied. But he added that “we’re not going to put the other carriers out of business. They’re still going to be around because they own a lot of spectrum. But yes, you should be able to have Starlink like you have an AT&T, or T-Mobile, or Verizon or whatever.”
When asked the same question in a different venue, SpaceX’s Gwynne Shotwell was a little more circumspect: “We will be initiating discussions with telcos in a different way now,” she said. “It’s our spectrum, but we want to work with them, almost providing wholesale capacity to their customers. We have to work with the device manufacturers, the chip companies, and working with telcos on the end game. It’s really exciting, but it’s a huge amount of work.”
Ookla retains ownership of this article including all of the intellectual property rights, data, content graphs and analysis. This article may not be quoted, reproduced, distributed or published for any commercial purpose without prior consent. Members of the press and others using the findings in this article for non-commercial purposes are welcome to publicly share and link to report information with attribution to Ookla.
Mike Dano is a Lead Industry Analyst in Ookla’s research and content team. He covers the North and South American markets, and global technology trends. Previously, Mike was a journalist covering the global telecom industry for 25 years at publications including RCR Wireless News, Fierce Network and Light Reading.
Ookla® is back with exciting, fresh data from Q3 and Q4 2022 for SpaceX’s Starlink and Sky Logic in Europe and Oceania, as well as new Starlink markets we haven’t yet featured in our ongoing series on satellite internet. With the FCC greenlighting Amazon’s Project Kuiper and many other exciting satellite developments launching this year, we’re certain all eyes will be on the sky in 2023 as new orbital connectivity options become available for consumers.
This analysis includes Starlink results from six new countries, and data for Starlink and Sky Logic in Europe and Starlink in Oceania. We also examine how Starlink’s internet performance has changed over the past year in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom.
Starlink is mostly speeding up again from Q3 to Q4 2022, but is still slower than a year ago
As Starlink rides the wave of becoming an increasingly popular connectivity option for consumers, we’ve seen the service speed up and then slow down year-over-year in most markets. However, Q4 2022 data shows many countries are experiencing a modest rise in median download speeds when compared to Q3 2022. That’s encouraging for consumers, especially as Starlink hit over 1 million users in Q4 2022, and could be a sign that Starlink seems to be maturing its constellation’s capacity. That’s particularly intriguing as Starlink launches more next-gen satellites, which were first deployed at the tail end of Q4 2022 and will most likely show up in Q1 2023 results.
In Europe, all the countries we evaluated for year-over-year median download speeds were slower for Q4 2022 than Q4 2021 when there were fewer users on each network. Most countries showed between 10-20% slower speeds in Q4 2022 than what users experienced in Q4 2021, including Ireland (at least 11% slower), Austria (at least 13%), Portugal (at least 14%), Italy (at least 15%), Germany (at least 16%), and the U.K. (at least 19%). Users in France saw very similar speeds year over year, with just a 4% decrease from Q4 2021 to Q4 2022, while users in Poland saw a large decrease (at least 56% slower), and users in the Netherlands (at least 21%) and Belgium (at least 28%) saw substantial decrease during the same period.
In Oceania, Starlink year-over-year results were mixed, with Starlink’s download speed in Australia 24% slower in Q4 2022 than during Q4 2021, while in New Zealand it was 4% faster in Q4 2022 than Q4 2021.
Starlink in Denmark and Switzerland had the fastest satellite internet in Europe during Q4 2022
Speedtest Intelligence® reveals there was no fastest satellite provider in Europe during Q4 2022, though Starlink in Denmark (147.52 Mbps) and Switzerland (136.03 Mbps) led the pack for fastest median download speed. In all, Starlink download speeds were faster than 100 Mbps in 10 out of 15 European countries during Q4 2022 — a rise from just five out 15 in Q3 2022.
Starlink outperformed fixed broadband providers over download speed in eight countries, including: Austria (105.67 Mbps), Belgium (104.84 Mbps), Croatia (102.99 Mbps), Czechia (64.67 Mbps), Germany (94.37 Mbps), Ireland (103.39 Mbps), Italy (101.06 Mbps), and the U.K. (96.79 Mbps). Fixed broadband providers were faster than satellite providers analyzed in Denmark, France, Netherlands, and Poland. Results were too close to call in Sweden with fixed providers at 106.73 Mbps and Starlink at 101.83 Mbps, as well as Portugal with Starlink at 108.02 Mbps and fixed broadband at 117.97 Mbps. Skylogic was too close to call between the median fixed broadband speed in Italy at 55.50 Mbps to 59.40 Mbps, and had download speeds faster than 40 Mbps in France (44.46 Mbps) and Sweden (48.09 Mbps).
For upload speeds, every country’s combined fixed broadband providers had faster median upload speeds than every satellite provider, though Starlink in Portugal had the fastest upload speed among satellite providers at 20.86 Mbps. All Starlink upload speeds ranged between 10-20 Mbps except Poland (9.79 Mbps) and Denmark (8.04 Mbps).
Multi-server latency for all satellite providers was higher than fixed broadband providers in every European country in Q4 2022, which ranged from 12.34 ms in Sweden to 23.46 ms in Italy. However, Starlink had a median multiserver latencies of less than 60 ms in the U.K. (53.24 ms), Portugal (56.81 ms), and the Netherlands (58.85 ms). Most latencies were between 60-75 ms, with Poland having the highest latency at 86.46 ms — still low enough to have a good quality of experience and be able to video chat.
Starlink in New Zealand was the fastest satellite provider in Oceania
During Q4 2022, Starlink in New Zealand had the fastest median download speed among satellite providers in Oceania at 124.72 Mbps, followed by Starlink in Australia (106.43 Mbps), and Starlink in Tonga (35.15 Mbps). However, New Zealand fixed broadband outperformed Starlink, while Starlink in Australia outperformed fixed broadband providers. In Tonga, speeds were too close to call.
Speedtest Intelligence shows Starlink falling behind fixed broadband providers for median upload speeds in New Zealand (16.89 Mbps) and Australia (11.38 Mbps), while Tonga was again too close to call.
Multi-server latency was higher over Starlink than fixed broadband in all three countries we surveyed in Oceania during Q4 2022. However, Starlink’s median latency was under 50 ms in New Zealand (48.11 ms), which is a very exciting development for consumers, especially with latency becoming an increasingly important metric. Starlink latency in Australia was higher at 65.52 ms, while Tonga followed at 88.81 ms.
New Q4 2022 Starlink countries show very promising results
Speedtest Intelligence shows the six new countries where we found new Starlink data are off to a roaring start in Q4 2022, which include Bulgaria, Finland, Jamaica, Japan, Latvia, and Malta. Starlink had faster median download speeds than the country’s respective fixed broadband providers combined in two countries: Bulgaria (110.76 Mbps versus 65.69 Mbps), and Jamaica (87.43 Mbps vs. 48.34 Mbps), while results were too close to call in the remaining four markets. However, Starlink showed promising 100+ Mbps speeds in Japan (156.94 Mbps), Finland (102.70 Mbps), and Malta (101.36 Mbps).
Median upload speeds for Starlink lagged behind fixed broadband providers in all markets, though Malta was too close to call (20.40 Mbps for Starlink and 20.25 Mbps for fixed broadband). Starlink upload speeds ranged from about 14 Mbps to 20 Mbps in every market.
Consumers and enterprises stand to benefit from satellite developments in 2023
Starlink dominated headlines in 2022 — and for good reason. They’ve gained over 1 million users worldwide, will be available in connected vehicles, planes, RVs, and ships, partnered with T-Mobile to bring Starlink to mobile devices, and launched their second-gen satellites at the end of 2022. But that could very seriously change in 2023 with multiple competitors deploying major offensives in the satellite market. We’ll say it again: there is a new space race for connectivity being waged, and we’re just at the tip of what’s to come.
Here are some major updates about what’s next for various different satellite competitors:
Amazon’s Project Kuiper approved by the FCC
The biggest news concerning satellite connectivity is the FCC approving Amazon’s Project Kuiper constellation, which will include 3,236 satellites in an LEO array. On two fronts, this poses two potential challenges for Starlink: on one hand, Amazon has the global reach, scale, and consumer base that being one of the largest companies in the world provides. On the other, Blue Origin is a direct competitor of SpaceX, and won’t have to rely on the service or other vendors to launch their array into space. Amazon is in a good position to compete and Project Kuiper could become a major player if their prototypes, which will be launched in early 2023, reach speeds anywhere close to competing with broadband internet.
Viasat set to launch Viasat-3 arrays around April 8, 2023
Long-term incumbent satellite internet provider, Viasat, has a big year ahead after years of planning and providing connectivity to remote locations around the world. Viasat is finally set to launch its Viasat-3 array, which aims to provide 1 Terabit per second (Tbps) of network capacity on each satellite, allowing its users to experience 100+ Mbps connections; that’s a huge improvement for the mainly GEO provider. While consumers likely won’t see these results until Q4 2023, we’re very excited to see how Viasat improves its network.
Eutelsat’s merger with OneWeb approved by Eutelsat board, second-gen array being planned
One of the biggest mergers in recent years among satellite providers has jumped a major hurdle and was approved by the Eutelsat board. While the combined entities still have to be approved by shareholders and regulators, this merger could expand both companies’ market share, particularly in India, which has fast become an important satellite market. Furthermore, OneWeb is already planning a second-gen satellite, which they’re aiming to launch in 2025.
European Commission forges ahead on Constellation Iris
HughesNet aiming to launch Jupiter 3 array in H1 2023
Incumbent satellite internet provider HughesNet is planning to launch its new Jupiter 3 array in the first half of 2023, which will help expand its network capacity, “doubling the size of the Hughes JUPITER fleet over North and South America.” While the Jupiter 3 array will still be a GEO constellation, the added network capacity will alleviate congested networks and give consumers more bandwidth to use the internet.
Ookla will continue monitoring new satellite internet developments
As 2023 continues to shape up as a pivotal year for satellite internet providers, we’ll be watching the sky to make sure providers are providing the connectivity consumers need. We’ll continue our series next quarter with Q4 2022 and Q1 2023 data from North and South America and any new countries where Starlink launches, and be back with Europe and Oceania data in Q3 2023. In the meantime, be sure to download the Speedtest® app for Windows and Mac computers or for iOS or Android for devices and see how your satellite internet stacks up to our findings.
Ookla retains ownership of this article including all of the intellectual property rights, data, content graphs and analysis. This article may not be quoted, reproduced, distributed or published for any commercial purpose without prior consent. Members of the press and others using the findings in this article for non-commercial purposes are welcome to publicly share and link to report information with attribution to Ookla.
The satellite internet race is heating up, with more competitors serving more areas than even a quarter ago. We’re back with a broader look at internet network performance for satellite providers across the globe based on Q2 2021 data from Speedtest Intelligence™.
Starlink speeds beat competitors in the U.S., can’t top fixed broadband
Given that satellite internet is often the only solution for folks with little to no fixed broadband access, the Speedtest® results we saw coming from HughesNet, Starlink and Viasat during Q2 2021 were encouraging. However, Starlink was the only satellite internet provider in the United States with fixed-broadband-like latency figures, and median download speeds fast enough to handle most of the needs of modern online life at 97.23 Mbps during Q2 2021 (up from 65.72 Mbps in Q1 2021). HughesNet was a distant second at 19.73 Mbps (15.07 Mbps in Q1 2021) and Viasat third at 18.13 Mbps (17.67 Mbps in Q1 2021). None of these are as fast as the 115.22 Mbps median download speed for all fixed broadband providers in the U.S. during Q2 2021, but it beats digging twenty miles (or more) of trench to hook up to local infrastructure.
Starlink’s median upload speed of 13.89 Mbps (up from 13.77 Mbps in Q1 2021) was much closer to that on fixed broadband (17.18 Mbps in Q2 2021, 15.99 Mbps in Q1 2021). Viasat had the second fastest upload speed among satellite providers at 3.38 Mbps (3.48 in Q1 2021). HughesNet was third (2.43 Mbps in Q1 and Q2 2021).
Critically, Starlink was the only satellite internet provider with a median latency that was anywhere near that seen on fixed broadband in Q2 2021 (45 ms and 14 ms, respectively). A low latency connection is more responsive, making it essential for many common applications such as voice and video calling, gaming and live streaming of content. Starlink is able to achieve these lower latency numbers through the use of their low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation. At altitudes between 550-1200 km, these satellites are physically closer to the earth’s surface than traditional satellite providers. Therefore it takes less time for the signal to relay back to a downlink station on earth, ensuring a much more responsive connectivity experience for the user. Viasat and HughesNet both utilize considerably higher “geosynchronous” orbits of around 35,000 km for their satellites. This allows them to serve much wider swaths of the Earth’s surface with fewer satellites, but with a dramatic increase in latency in our data of 630 ms and 724 ms respectively.
Satellite internet speeds in the U.S. are increasing, mostly
Consumers are used to incremental increases in fixed broadband performance as that’s a developed technology with a stable market share. Satellite internet is newer and speeds fluctuate as technologies improve and as more users are added to sometimes crowded networks. Data from Speedtest Intelligence during Q1-Q2 2021 shows some of these struggles as median download speeds for both Starlink and HughesNet dipped in February and then rose again through the period only to dip again in June. This could be related to seasonal weather patterns. Viasat’s median download speed rose slightly from January through April and then started to decline slightly in May and June. We’ll continue watching the performance of these companies over time to see if they reach the steady climb that fixed broadband enjoys.
Starlink performance varies at the county level, but not widely
We saw sufficient samples during Q2 2021 to analyze Starlink performance in 458 counties in the U.S. While there was about a 100 Mbps range in performance between the county with the fastest median download speed (Morgan County, Alabama at 168.30 Mbps) and the county with the slowest median download speed (Madison County, Indiana at 64.51 Mbps), even the lower-end speeds are well above the FCC’s Baseline performance tier of at least a 25 Mbps download speed. We also saw many more counties qualify for analysis during Q2 2021 than we saw in Q1 2021.
Satellite internet performance elsewhere in the world
The ambition and potential of satellite internet providers is of course to increase internet access across the globe. To that end, we examined satellite internet performance in countries with an established market share.
Brazil: Viasat download speed is comparable to fixed broadband, upload is not
Viasat’s 60.30 Mbps median download speed during Q2 2021 in Brazil was very close to the national average for fixed broadband of 61.38 Mbps. Viasat’s median upload speed (1.05 Mbps) was much slower, however, than that on fixed broadband (28.75 Mbps), and Viasat’s latency was much higher (613 ms vs 7 ms).
Our previous article showed that Starlink’s median download speed was slower than fixed broadband in three provinces and faster in two. Data from Q2 2021 shows that Starlink’s median download speed exceeded that of fixed broadband in Canada (86.92 Mbps vs. 84.24 Mbps), making Starlink a reasonable alternative to fixed broadband in Canada. Starlink’s median upload speed was slower than fixed broadband (13.63 Mbps vs. 17.76 Mbps). Latency on Starlink was much higher (55 ms vs. 12 ms), but many customers in remote areas would gladly accept a latency in that range in exchange for having access to internet service.
Starlink performance varies at the province level, but not widely
Starlink showed enough samples to analyze performance in 8 provinces in Canada during Q2 2021. Starlink’s Q2 2021 median download speed was faster than fixed broadband in five provinces (Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Saskatchewan), though samples in Nova Scotia were few enough and showed enough variability that there is room for interpretation. Download speeds were comparable between Starlink and overall fixed broadband in two provinces (Alberta and Ontario) and fixed broadband was faster in British Columbia.
Chile: HughesNet shows comparable speeds here and in the U.S.
At 15.43 Mbps, the median download speed for HughesNet in Chile during Q2 2021 was not fast, especially compared with the country’s fixed broadband average of 111.94 Mbps. Median upload speeds also showed a wide gap (3.23 Mbps for HughesNet to 39.48 Mbps on fixed broadband), and HughesNet’s latency was very high (678 ms vs. 8 ms).
Colombia: HughesNet is slowest
The slowest performance we saw for HughesNet was in Colombia, where fixed broadband speeds are also slower than in other countries surveyed. HughesNet showed a median download speed of 9.28 Mbps during Q2 2021, compared with Colombia’s 35.90 Mbps for fixed broadband overall. Median upload speed was also slower using the satellite internet provider (3.03 Mbps) than fixed broadband (8.56 Mbps), and latency was much higher on satellite (799 ms vs. 17 ms).
France: Where the fastest Starlink download speeds are
Satellite internet users in France saw the fastest median download speeds from Starlink of all countries we surveyed during Q2 2021. At 139.39 Mbps, Starlink’s download speed easily beat the country-wide average for fixed broadband of 70.81 Mbps. Starlink’s upload speed was slower than the fixed broadband average, but still respectable (29.35 Mbps vs. 52.56 Mbps), and Starlink’s latency was higher (53 ms vs. 13 ms).
Germany: Starlink far surpasses local fixed broadband
Consumers looking for fast internet in Germany have a great option in Starlink. Starlink’s median download and upload speeds were much faster than the country averages for fixed broadband in Q2 2021. The only drawback is Starlink’s 37 ms latency, compared to the 15 ms average for fixed broadband.
Mexico: Viasat and HughesNet are comparable, though slower than fixed broadband
Mexico has options when it comes to satellite internet, and the faster of the two options appears to be Viasat, for now. With a median download speed of 13.95 Mbps in Mexico during Q2 2021, Viasat was faster than HughesNet (11.92 Mbps) but slower than the country’s average for fixed broadband (29.99 Mbps). Median upload speed told a similar story, though HughesNet was slightly faster than Viasat (3.25 Mbps vs. 2.01 Mbps). While Viasat’s latency was high (672 ms vs 13 ms for fixed broadband), it was lower than HughesNet’s (714 ms).
New Zealand: Starlink is faster than fixed broadband
Data from Speedtest Intelligence shows that Starlink’s median download speed was much faster than New Zealand’s average fixed broadband download speed during Q2 2021 (127.02 Mbps vs. 78.85 Mbps), and the upload speeds were nearly identical (23.61 Mbps vs. 23.51 Mbps). Starlink did have a much higher latency (101 ms vs. 7 ms). Starlink is relatively new in the country and does not have a large market share yet; we’ll be interested to see how their speeds hold up under heavier use.
United Kingdom: Starlink beats fixed broadband providers
Starlink showed a much faster median download speed in the U.K. during Q2 2021 (108.30 Mbps) than the country’s average for fixed broadband (50.14 Mbps). Starlink’s upload speed was also slightly faster (15.64 Mbps vs. 14.76 Mbps), and the latency was pretty good, given the distance traveled (37 ms vs. 15 ms). This brings Starlink closer to contender status for consumers across the U.K., not just those stranded in internet-free zones in Northern Scotland, once the service interruptions are under control. It also shows that because satellite internet is not constrained by the infrastructure of a given country, there is the potential to radically outperform fixed broadband.
This data is changing rapidly as satellite internet providers launch new service locations and improve their technology. We’ll be excited to see if Starlink is still the satellite provider to beat next quarter and in what other countries satellite internet provides a viable alternative to fixed broadband.
Ookla retains ownership of this article including all of the intellectual property rights, data, content graphs and analysis. This article may not be quoted, reproduced, distributed or published for any commercial purpose without prior consent. Members of the press and others using the findings in this article for non-commercial purposes are welcome to publicly share and link to report information with attribution to Ookla.
SpaceX’s Starlink internet service is the clear leader among consumer-oriented satellite internet providers in Latin America. Indeed, the company accounted for 98.2% of all consumer-oriented, satellite-based Speedtests conducted throughout the region in the third quarter of 2025.
But success invites competition. Starlink continues to push against established satellite internet providers Viasat and HughesNet. And soon it will face even more competition when Amazon Leo commercially launches service later this year.
Regardless, rural internet users throughout Latin America stand to benefit: The median download speed available through a satellite internet connection – across all consumer-oriented satellite internet providers – rose from 29.12 Mbps in the first quarter of 2023 to 72.01 Mbps in the third quarter of 2025.
Key takeaways:
Starlink consistently provided faster download and upload speeds throughout Latin America when compared with other satellite operators offering internet services to consumers between the first quarter of 2023 and the third quarter of 2025. Starlink’s median download speeds across the region reached 82.54 Mbps in the third quarter of 2025, above Viasat’s 32.73 Mbps and 15.93 Mbps from HughesNet. In some cases, Starlink’s median download speeds were also competitive with those from local fixed internet providers, such as in the Dominican Republic. But in other countries, like Chile, Starlink’s median download speeds were around a third of those provided by local fixed internet providers in the third quarter of 2025.
Starlink’s network performance has improved across many different Latin American countries. For example, its median download speeds have been on the upswing in Chile, Mexico, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic (the company’s first four Latin American markets) since the beginning of 2025. And in the third quarter of 2025, the company’s latency speeds improved in countries like Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, likely due to the installation of new ground stations and other terrestrial infrastructure in that specific region.
Competition is poised to rise in the Latin American market for consumer-oriented satellite internet service. While Starlink plans upgrades to its own system, so too are existing providers like Viasat and HughesNet. Meanwhile, newcomers like Amazon Leo promise to provide alternatives.
Starlink lands in Latam
According to the GSMA’s Mobile Connectivity Index, significant portions of Latin America’s residents live in rural areas. In Brazil, the region’s largest country by population, 12% of residents lived in such areas in 2024. In Mexico, that figure was 18%. In Colombia and Peru, it was 21%. And in Bolivia, it was 29%.
Obviously this can create challenges for Latin Americans on the hunt for high-speed internet access. For example, one study from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) found that 2,817 schools in Guatemala lacked adequate connectivity. The groups acknowledged that satellites are the only feasible technological option that could bring all of those schools online.
That said, satellites still represent a tiny fraction of the overall market for broadband services in Latin America. According to one estimate, satellite internet services in the region generated $562 million in revenues in 2024 – or around 1% of the estimated $56 billion generated by the region’s broadband services (including fiber and mobile) in 2024. That figure dovetails with recent numbers from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which calculated that satellites accounted for 1% of fixed broadband subscriptions across all OECD countries at the end 2024.
Starlink and other satellite internet providers could help grow these numbers. Already Starlink’s Speedtest samples across Latin America have increased by more than 4x during the past 11 quarters.
Starlink’s Latin American growth is underpinned by the 10,000 low Earth orbit (LEO) Starlink satellites launched via SpaceX rockets since 2019. In 2025 alone, SpaceX has conducted more than 100 Starlink satellite launch missions. According to the GSMA, Starlink now controls up to 90% of the world’s communication satellites (excluding the three major Chinese constellations).
In early November 2025, Starlink said it provided connections to a total of 8 million people globally. That’s up from the 7 million mark Starlink reported at the end of August 2025 – a 14% increase in its customer base in just 69 days.
According to local telecom regulators, Starlink counted a total of 425,514 customers across Brazil and Mexico (Latin America’s two most populous countries) toward the end of last year. That would account for around 10% of the 4 million people Starlink counted in its global customer base at that time.
Starlink first began offering services in Latin America in 2021, starting with Chile (in September 2021) and then quickly expanding to Mexico (November 2021), Brazil (January 2022) and the Dominican Republic (July 2022).
Starlink's First Four Latin American Markets
Ookla Speedtest data, starting after market launch | Q4 2021 – Q3 2025
In general, Starlink’s median download speeds dipped in the months after its initial launch in each market, as the company loads more users onto its network. This is a consequence of multiple users sharing a finite resource (Starlink’s network and spectrum) and it can also be seen in Starlink’s performance on other continents as well as during events that bring together large numbers of Starlink users. As the company’s network speeds slow, Starlink can then tailor its pricing and offerings in order to moderate the addition of new customers onto its network – the company’s coverage map currently shows locations where its services are “sold out.”
The overall competitiveness of Starlink’s network performance can vary dramatically by country. In Chile, for example, Starlink’s median download speeds in the third quarter of 2025 (106.38 Mbps) significantly trailed those available from the country’s fixed internet providers at 354.53 Mbps. Chile, after all, is where 50 Gbps service plans are beginning to emerge.
Meanwhile, in the Dominican Republic, Starlink’s median download speeds of 55.01 Mbps in the third quarter of 2025 were very close to the 53.71 Mbps median download speeds provided by the country’s fixed internet providers.
Starlink accelerates across Latin America
This, however, is just the beginning. Since the start of 2023, Starlink has introduced its satellite internet services in a total of 11 new Latin American markets, countries that account for around one out of every four Latin Americans.
Market
Starlink launch date
Peru
January 2023
Colombia
January 2023
El Salvador
April 2023
Panama
May 2023
Guatemala
July 2023
Costa Rica
November 2023
Honduras
December 2023
Paraguay
December 2023
Argentina
March 2024
Uruguay
May 2024
Guyana
April 2025
In general, Starlink’s median upload and download speeds in these newer markets have been rising since the beginning of this year, likely due to the additional satellites Starlink has been adding to its constellation.
Starlink Latin American Market Launches, Q1 2023 – Q3 2025
Ookla Speedtest data for each of Starlink's new markets in Latin America, starting after the market launch
Starlink’s latency measurements – particularly in neighboring Central American countries like Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras – showed improvement in the third quarter of 2025. That may be due to the installation of new ground stations and other terrestrial infrastructure in that specific region. Such equipment can more quickly route user traffic from Starlink’s satellite network and onto the public internet backbone via physically shorter, more direct paths to users’ internet destinations.
Along these lines, Starlink’s own network performance map shows Guyana (Starlink’s newest Latin American market) with higher latency speeds than any other location in Latin America. A third-party map of Starlink’s terrestrial infrastructure indicates a possible reason: The nearest Starlink terrestrial infrastructure is in Manaus, Brazil, some 350 miles away from Guyana.
Starlink isn’t the only game in town
Starlink is a relatively new player in the market for satellite internet services across Latin America.
Viasat, founded in the 1980s, counts around 157,000 satellite internet subscribers in the U.S., down from around 228,000 a year ago. The company does not disclose the number of customers it has outside of the U.S. And HughesNet, owned by EchoStar, was founded in the 1990s and counts roughly 783,000 satellite internet customers globally. That too is down from the 912,000 it counted a year ago. HughesNet doesn’t break out its Latin American customer figures, but around a year ago it told one publication that it had 400,000 subscribers across Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru (which would account for about 44% of the company’s global customer base at the time).
Like Starlink, both Viasat and HughesNet sell satellite internet services directly to consumers. And like Starlink, both companies also operate their own satellites. However, Viasat and HughesNet maintain a handful of large, geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites whereas Starlink’s satellites are smaller, much more plentiful, and orbit closer to the Earth.
This design difference in satellite constellations is the main reason for the disparity in performance between Starlink and Viasat and HughesNet in Latin America and elsewhere.
Latin American Consumer-Oriented Satellite Internet Providers
Ookla Speedtest data | Latin America | Q1 2023 – Q3 2025
Satellite market on course to become more complex and diverse
Starlink, Viasat and HughesNet aren’t the only companies flying satellites over Latin America.
For example, OneWeb Eutelsat also operates a global LEO constellation of 600 satellites. The company, originally founded in 2012, eventually filed for bankruptcy protection and, later, merged with European GEO satellite operator Eutelsat to become OneWeb Eutelsat. Today, it focuses on wholesale connectivity rather than direct-to-consumer sales. OneWeb Eutelsat connections occasionally show up in Ookla data for Latin America but not in statistically relevant numbers.
SES also targets the market for wholesale satellite internet services in Latin America. The company, founded in the 1980s, operates both GEO and medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites. Like OneWeb Eutelsat, SES connections occasionally show up in Ookla data for Latin America with speeds generally below those provided by the likes of Viasat and HughesNet.
Finally, Andesat and Hispasat are also worth mentioning in a discussion of satellite internet because both companies are based in Latin America and both operate a handful of their own satellites. Both companies target the business-to-business sector, like SES and OneWeb Eutelsat. Hispasat connections occasionally show up in Ookla data for Latin America, and speeds are similar to those of SES.
Nonetheless, Andesat and Hispasat are important because they both dovetail with ongoing geopolitical sensitivities concerning national satellite sovereignty. For example, Starlink is not currently authorized in Bolivia, reflecting that country’s specific regulatory environment. On the opposite side of such issues, Starlink cannot sell services in Venezuela due to U.S. embargoes.
Starlink’s coverage map reflects these ongoing geopolitical realities, showing coverage gaps across Latin American countries like Cuba and Nicaragua.
That said, much may change in the future. Amazon Leo’s pending launch of commercial satellite internet service is perhaps the clearest signal of this change. Last year, Latin American media and telecom provider Vrio announced plans to sell Amazon Leo connections to consumers in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia through DirecTV Latin America and Sky Brasil.
Meanwhile, Viasat and HughesNet are planning to launch additional satellites in support of their own offerings. Other satellite companies – such as Telesat in Canada – are also planning to join the fray.
But Starlink isn’t standing still. The company is planning a major upgrade to its satellite constellation – via its bigger V3 satellites – that could further improve its network speeds and capacity. That effort may be bolstered by SpaceX’s bigger Starship rocket, which promises to launch more Starlink satellites than the company’s current rockets.
To find out more about Speedtest Intelligence® data and insights, visit our website.
Starlink enciende la fiesta de internet en la América Latina rural
El servicio de internet por satélite de SpaceX está registrando un crecimiento en toda América Latina, justo cuando otras compañías intensifican las alternativas.
El servicio de internet Starlink de SpaceX es el líder claro entre los proveedores de internet por satélite orientados al consumidor en América Latina. De hecho, la compañía representó el 98,2% de todos las muestras de Speedtest por satélite hechas por consumidor registradas en toda la región en el tercer trimestre de 2025.
Pero el éxito atrae a la competencia. Starlink continúa presionando a los proveedores de internet por satélite establecidos Viasat y HughesNet. Y pronto se enfrentará a aún más competencia cuando Amazon Leo lance comercialmente su servicio a finales de este año.
En cualquier caso, los usuarios rurales de internet en toda América Latina se beneficiarán: la velocidad media de descarga disponible a través de una conexión a internet por satélite —en todos los proveedores de internet por satélite— aumentó de 29,12 Mbps en el primer trimestre de 2023 a 72,01 Mbps en el tercer trimestre de 2025.
Principales conclusiones:
Starlink proporcionó de manera constante velocidades de descarga y subida más rápidas en toda América Latina en comparación con otros operadores de satélite que ofrecen servicios de internet a los consumidores entre el primer trimestre de 2023 y el tercer trimestre de 2025. Las velocidades medianas de descarga de Starlink en la región alcanzaron 82,54 Mbps en el tercer trimestre de 2025, por encima de los 32,73 Mbps de Viasat y los 15,93 Mbps de HughesNet. En algunos casos, las velocidades medianas de descarga de Starlink también fueron competitivas con las de los proveedores de internet fijos locales, como en la República Dominicana. Pero en otros países, como Chile, las velocidades medianas de descarga de Starlink fueron alrededor de un tercio de las proporcionadas por los proveedores de internet fijos locales en el tercer trimestre de 2025.
El rendimiento de la red de Starlink ha mejorado en muchos países diferentes de América Latina. Por ejemplo, sus velocidades medianas de descarga han ido en aumento en Chile, México, Brasil y la República Dominicana (los primeros cuatro mercados latinoamericanos de la compañía) desde principios de 2025. Y en el tercer trimestre de 2025, la latencia de la compañía mejoró en países como Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador y Honduras, probablemente debido a la instalación de nuevas estaciones terrestres y otras infraestructuras terrestres en esa región específica.
La competencia está a punto de aumentar en el mercado latinoamericano de servicios de internet por satélite orientados al consumidor. Mientras Starlink planea mejoras en su propio sistema, también lo están haciendo los proveedores existentes como Viasat y HughesNet. Mientras tanto, los recién llegados como Amazon Leo prometen proporcionar alternativas.
Starlink aterriza en Latam
Según el Índice de Conectividad Móvil de la GSMA, una parte significativa de los residentes de América Latina vive en zonas rurales. En Brasil, el país más grande de la región por población, el 12% de los residentes vivía en dichas áreas en 2024. En México, esa cifra era del 18%. En Colombia y Perú, era del 21%. Y en Bolivia, era del 29%.
Obviamente, esto puede generar desafíos para los latinoamericanos en la búsqueda de acceso a internet de alta velocidad. Por ejemplo, un estudio del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID) y la Unión Internacional de Telecomunicaciones (UIT) descubrió que 2.817 escuelas en Guatemala carecían de la conectividad adecuada. Los grupos reconocieron que los satélites son la única opción tecnológica viable que podría conectar todas esas escuelas.
Dicho esto, los satélites todavía representan una ínfima parte del mercado global de servicios de banda ancha en América Latina. Según una estimación, los servicios de internet por satélite en la región generaron 562 millones de dólares en ingresos en 2024, o alrededor del 1% de los 56 mil millones de dólares estimados generados por los servicios de banda ancha de la región (incluyendo fibra y móvil) en 2024. Esa cifra concuerda con los números recientes de la Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económicos (OCDE), que calculó que los satélites representaban el 1% de las suscripciones de banda ancha fija en todos los países de la OCDE a finales de 2024.
Starlink y otros proveedores de internet por satélite podrían ayudar a aumentar estas cifras. Las muestras de Speedtest de Starlink en toda América Latina ya se han multiplicado por más de 4 durante los últimos 11 trimestres.
El crecimiento de Starlink en América Latina se sustenta en los 10.000 satélites Starlink de órbita terrestre baja (LEO) lanzados mediante cohetes SpaceX desde 2019. Solo en 2025, SpaceX ha llevado a cabo más de 100 misiones de lanzamiento de satélites Starlink. Según la GSMA, Starlink ahora controla hasta el 90% de los satélites de comunicaciones del mundo (excluyendo las tres principales constelaciones chinas).
A principios de noviembre de 2025, Starlink dijo que proporcionaba conexiones a un total de 8 millones de personas a nivel mundial. Eso es un aumento con respecto a la marca de 7 millones que Starlink reportó a finales de agosto de 2025, un aumento del 14% en su base de clientes en sólo 69 días.
Según los reguladores locales de telecomunicaciones, Starlink contaba con un total de 425.514 clientes entre Brasil y México (los dos países más poblados de América Latina) hacia finales del año pasado. Eso representaría alrededor del 10% de los 4 millones de personas con las que Starlink contaba en su base de clientes global en ese momento.
Starlink comenzó a ofrecer servicios en América Latina por primera vez en 2021, empezando por Chile (en septiembre de 2021) y luego expandiéndose rápidamente a México (noviembre de 2021), Brasil (enero de 2022) y la República Dominicana (julio de 2022).
Primeros cuatro mercados de Starlink en Latinoamérica
Datos de Speedtest de Ookla, desde el lanzamiento en el mercado / 4º trim. 2021 – 3er trim. 2025
En general, las velocidades medianas de descarga de Starlink disminuyeron en los meses posteriores a su lanzamiento inicial en cada mercado, a medida que la empresa incorporaba más usuarios a su red. Esta es una consecuencia de que múltiples usuarios compartan un recurso finito (la red y el espectro de Starlink) y también se puede observar en el rendimiento de Starlink en otros continentes, así como durante eventos que reúnen a un gran número de usuarios de Starlink. A medida que la velocidad de la red de la compañía se ralentiza, Starlink puede ajustar sus precios y ofertas para moderar la adición de nuevos clientes a su red. El mapa de cobertura de la compañía actualmente muestra ubicaciones donde sus servicios están “agotados” (sold out).
La competitividad general del rendimiento de la red de Starlink puede variar drásticamente según el país. En Chile, por ejemplo, las velocidades medianas de descarga de Starlink en el tercer trimestre de 2025 (106,38 Mbps) quedaron significativamente por detrás de las disponibles a través de los proveedores de internet fijos del país, con 354,53 Mbps. Después de todo, Chile es donde los planes de servicio de 50 Gbps están comenzando a surgir.
Mientras tanto, en la República Dominicana, las velocidades medianas de descarga de Starlink de 55,01 Mbps en el tercer trimestre de 2025 estuvieron muy cerca de las velocidades medias de descarga de 53,71 Mbps proporcionadas por los proveedores de internet fijos del país.
Starlink acelera en América Latina
Sin embargo, esto es sólo el principio. Desde el comienzo de 2023, Starlink ha introducido sus servicios de internet por satélite en un total de 11 nuevos mercados latinoamericanos, países que representan aproximadamente a uno de cada cuatro latinoamericanos.
Mercado
Fecha lanzamiento Starlink
Perú
Enero 2023
Colombia
Enero 2023
El Salvador
Abril 2023
Panamá
Mayo 2023
Guatemala
Julio 2023
Costa Rica
Noviembre 2023
Honduras
Diciembre 2023
Paraguay
Diciembre 2023
Argentina
Marzo 2024
Uruguay
Mayo 2024
Guyana
Abril 2025
En general, las velocidades medianas de subida y descarga de Starlink en estos mercados más nuevos han ido en aumento desde principios de este año, probablemente debido a los satélites adicionales que Starlink ha estado añadiendo a su constelación.
In general, Starlink’s median upload and download speeds in these newer markets have been rising since the beginning of this year, likely due to the additional satellites Starlink has been adding to its constellation.
Lanzamiento Starlink en Latinoamérica. 1er trim. 2021 – 3er trim. 2025
Datos de Speedtest de Ookla para cada uno de los nuevos mercados en Latinoamérica, desde el lanzamiento en el mercado
Las mediciones de latencia de Starlink —particularmente en países vecinos de Centroamérica como Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador y Honduras— mostraron una mejora en el tercer trimestre de 2025. Esto puede deberse a la instalación de nuevas estaciones terrestres y otras infraestructuras terrestres en esa región específica. Dicho equipo puede encaminar más rápidamente el tráfico de los usuarios desde la red satelital de Starlink hacia la red troncal de internet pública a través de rutas físicamente más cortas y directas hacia los destinos de internet de los usuarios.
En esta línea, el propio mapa de rendimiento de la red de Starlink muestra a Guyana (el mercado latinoamericano más reciente de Starlink) con menores latencias que cualquier otra ubicación en América Latina. Un mapa de terceros de la infraestructura terrestre de Starlink indica una posible razón: la infraestructura terrestre de Starlink más cercana se encuentra en Manaus, Brasil, a unas 350 millas (aproximadamente 563 kilómetros) de Guyana.
Starlink no es el único actor en el mercado
Starlink es un actor relativamente nuevo en el mercado de servicios de internet por satélite en América Latina.
Viasat, fundada en la década de 1980, cuenta con alrededor de 157.000 suscriptores de internet por satélite en EE. UU., una cifra inferior a los aproximadamente 228.000 de hace un año. La compañía no revela el número de clientes que tiene fuera de EE. UU. Y HughesNet, propiedad de EchoStar, fue fundada en la década de 1990 y cuenta con aproximadamente 783.000 clientes de internet por satélite a nivel mundial. Esta cifra también es inferior a los 912.000 que tenía hace un año. HughesNet no desglosa sus cifras de clientes en América Latina, pero hace aproximadamente un año declaró a una publicación que tenía 400.000 suscriptores entre Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, México y Perú (lo que representaría alrededor del 44% de la base global de clientes de la compañía en ese momento).
Al igual que Starlink, tanto Viasat como HughesNet venden servicios de internet por satélite directamente a los consumidores. Y al igual que Starlink, ambas compañías también operan sus propios satélites. Sin embargo, Viasat y HughesNet mantienen un puñado de satélites grandes en órbita geoestacionaria (GEO), mientras que los satélites de Starlink son más pequeños, mucho más numerosos y orbitan más cerca de la Tierra.
Esta diferencia de diseño en las constelaciones de satélites es la razón principal de la disparidad en el rendimiento entre Starlink, Viasat y HughesNet, tanto en América Latina como en otros lugares.
Proveedores de satélite al consumidor final en Latinoamérica
Datos de Speedtest de Ookla / Latinoamérica / 1er trim 2023 – 3er trim. 2025
El mercado del satélite rumbo a ser más complejo y diverso
Starlink, Viasat y HughesNet no son las únicas compañías que tienen satélites sobre América Latina.
Por ejemplo, OneWeb Eutelsat también opera una constelación LEO global de 600 satélites. La compañía, fundada originalmente en 2012, finalmente se declaró en bancarrota y, más tarde, se fusionó con el operador europeo de satélites GEO Eutelsat para convertirse en OneWeb Eutelsat. Hoy en día, se centra en la conectividad mayorista (wholesale) en lugar de las ventas directas al consumidor. Las conexiones de OneWeb Eutelsat aparecen ocasionalmente en los datos de Ookla para América Latina, pero no en números estadísticamente relevantes.
SES también se dirige al mercado de servicios de internet satelital mayoristas en América Latina. La compañía, fundada en la década de 1980, opera satélites tanto GEO como de órbita terrestre media (MEO). Al igual que OneWeb Eutelsat, las conexiones de SES aparecen ocasionalmente en los datos de Ookla para América Latina, con velocidades generalmente inferiores a las proporcionadas por empresas como Viasat y HughesNet.
Finalmente, también vale la pena mencionar a Andesat e Hispasat en una discusión sobre internet satelital, porque ambas compañías tienen su sede en América Latina y ambas operan un puñado de sus propios satélites. Ambas compañías se dirigen al sector business-to-business (de empresa a empresa), al igual que SES y OneWeb Eutelsat. Las conexiones de Hispasat aparecen ocasionalmente en los datos de Ookla para América Latina, y las velocidades son similares a las de SES.
No obstante, Andesat e Hispasat son importantes porque ambas encajan con las sensibilidades geopolíticas actuales relativas a la soberanía satelital nacional. Por ejemplo, Starlink no está actualmente autorizado en Bolivia, lo que refleja el entorno regulatorio específico de ese país. En el lado opuesto de tales cuestiones, Starlink no puede vender servicios en Venezuela debido a los embargos de EE.UU.
El mapa de cobertura de Starlink refleja estas realidades geopolíticas actuales, mostrando lagunas de cobertura en países latinoamericanos como Cuba y Nicaragua.
Dicho esto, mucho puede cambiar en el futuro. El inminente lanzamiento del servicio comercial de internet por satélite Amazon Leo es quizás la señal más clara de este cambio. El año pasado, el proveedor latinoamericano de medios y telecomunicaciones Vrio anunció planes para vender conexiones de Amazon Leo a consumidores en Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Uruguay, Perú, Ecuador y Colombia a través de DirecTV Latin America y Sky Brasil.
Mientras tanto, Viasat y HughesNet están planeando lanzar satélites adicionales en apoyo de sus propias ofertas. Otras compañías satelitales, como Telesat en Canadá, también planean unirse a la contienda.
Pero Starlink no se queda quieto. La compañía está planeando una actualización importante de su constelación de satélites, a través de sus satélites V3 más grandes, que podría mejorar aún más la velocidad y capacidad de su red. Ese esfuerzo puede verse reforzado por el cohete Starship, más grande de SpaceX, que promete lanzar más satélites Starlink que los cohetes actuales de la compañía.
Para obtener más información sobre los datos y la información de Speedtest Intelligence®, visite nuestro sitio web.
Ookla retains ownership of this article including all of the intellectual property rights, data, content graphs and analysis. This article may not be quoted, reproduced, distributed or published for any commercial purpose without prior consent. Members of the press and others using the findings in this article for non-commercial purposes are welcome to publicly share and link to report information with attribution to Ookla.
Mike Dano is a Lead Industry Analyst in Ookla’s research and content team. He covers the North and South American markets, and global technology trends. Previously, Mike was a journalist covering the global telecom industry for 25 years at publications including RCR Wireless News, Fierce Network and Light Reading.
The LEO satellite provider is giving free gear to new customers in areas where it has excess capacity. Will it be able to handle an influx of new customers and still maintain its broadband speeds?
Key Takeaways
Users on Starlink’s network experienced median download speeds nearly double from 53.95 Mbps in Q3 2022 to 104.71 Mbps in Q1 2025. Median upload speeds also increased dramatically during the same period from 7.50 Mbps in Q3 2022 and to 14.84 Mbps in Q1 2025.
Only 17.4% of U.S. Starlink Speedtest users nationwide were able to get broadband speeds consistent with the FCC’s minimum requirement for broadband of 100 Mbps download speeds and 20 Mbps upload speeds. However, this small percentage of Starlink users is primarily due to its low upload speeds.
Speedtest® data for the states where Starlink is offering its free equipment to new users indicates that existing Starlink users are experiencing a range of median download speeds — from as high as 136.93 Mbps in Maine to as low as 72.65 Mbps in Alaska.
With Starlink’s substantial increase to its median upload and download speeds and ability to deliver broadband speeds of 100/20 Mbps to nearly 20% of Speedtest users across the country, the satellite provider is becoming an increasingly attractive broadband option for many.
SpaceX’s low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite provider Starlink is making inroads in the U.S. broadband market and trying to attract more subscribers by offering free equipment to new customers in states where it says it has excess capacity (more on this below).
Ookla® Speedtest data on Starlink indicates that the satellite company’s network performance has been on the uptick over the past couple of years and as of Q1 2025 17.42% of U.S. Starlink Speedtest users were able to get speeds consistent with the FCC’s minimum requirement for fixed broadband of 100 Mbps download speeds and 20 Mbps upload speeds.
Starlink is positioned to benefit from recent changes to the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced June 6 that it had reviewed the BEAD program and, as expected, it adopted a technology-neutral stance instead of prioritizing fiber deployments, making way for LEO satellite systems like Starlink to get BEAD funding.
In addition, some states such as Maine have launched state-funded programs that subsidize Starlink for some rural addresses and more are likely to follow. The Texas Broadband Development Office, for example, announced in January 2025 that it is developing a grant program to support LEO satellite broadband service in rural areas.
Starlink Upload, Download Speeds Are On the Rise
Starlink’s network performance over the past three years shows a dramatic increase in median download and upload speeds as well as a decline in latency.
Starlink’s performance across the U.S. from Q1 2022 until Q1 2025 indicates that after experiencing a decline in download speeds between Q1 2022 and Q3 2022, U.S. Speedtest users on Starlink’s network saw a median download speeds nearly double from 53.95 Mbps in Q3 2022 to 104.71 Mbps in Q1 2025.
The decline in median download speeds between Q1 2022 and Q3 2022 was likely due to growing pains as the satellite service added more subscribers and network usage increased.
A similar trend was observed in median upload speeds as Speedtest users saw their median upload speeds decline between Q1 2022 from 9.81 Mbps to 7.50 Mbps in Q3 2022 and then tick upward to Q1 2025 when median upload speeds reached 14.84 Mbps.
Starlink's Median Upload, Download and Latency Speeds
Q1 2022 through Q1 2025
Starlink's Median Upload, Download and Latency Speeds Over Time
Starlink’s Latency Ticks Downward
Perhaps more importantly than download and upload speeds is latency, which is the time it takes to transmit data from one point in the network to another. Transmitting data between earth and space is particularly challenging because of the distance involved. However, because Starlink’s satellites orbit the planet in low-orbit (about 340 miles above the earth) its latency is much lower than geostationary satellite systems that orbit about 22,000 miles above the earth. For example, signals from satellite system such as HughesNet have a much greater distance to travel, which is why Speedtest users on HughesNet experience a much higher median latency than Starlink Speedtest users.
A comparison of Starlink's Median Latency with HughesNet's Median Latency
Q1 2022 through Q1 2025
Starlink's low-Earth orbit median latency compared with geostationary satellite system's median latency
Starlink users in the U.S. experienced a median multi-server latency of 76 milliseconds (ms) in Q2 2022, but latency measurements ticked downward over time and in Q1 2025 Speedtest users clocked an average median latency of 45 ms.
Starlink said in March 2024 that it was improving its latency in the U.S. by adding six additional internet connection locations (also referred to as PoPs) and optimizing its gateway locations and its planning algorithms to ensure that traffic lands as close to its destination point as possible.
In addition, the satellite company has also steadily added more satellites to its constellation. In February 2022 Starlink had 1,560 satellites in orbit and as of February 2025 it had 6,751 satellites in orbit. At publication of this report, Starlink had launched an additional 24 satellites into low Earth orbit.
Starlink’s New Free Equipment Offer Targets Several States
Starlink recently announced plans to offer free equipment (valued at around $350) to new customers in areas where it has excess capacity. In the U.S., those areas are depicted on the map below and include all or portions of about 33 states.
Customers who receive the free gear must commit to a one-year plan, and they have a choice of one of two residential plans: An $80/mo plan that will give them speeds between 50-100 Mbps and a $120/mo plan that provides speeds of 250 Mbps.
Ookla Speedtest data for the states where Starlink is offering the free equipment indicates that existing Starlink users are experiencing a range of median download speeds — from as high as 136.93 Mbps in Maine to as low as 72.65 Mbps in Alaska. Perhaps more telling is the download speeds for Speedtest users in the 25th percentile, which provides the download speed performance for the bottom quarter of Speedtest users in these states.
With the exception of Alaska, the overall performance of the rest of the states, particularly the 25th percentile users in Nebraska, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada and Wyoming is probably a better indication of why Starlink is offering free gear to these states. With the 25th percentile of Starlink users in these states experiencing download speeds of more than 80 Mbps there is likely plenty of excess capacity.
Although Starlink said its goal is to deliver service with just 20 milliseconds (ms) median latency, the lowest median latency rates recorded by Speedtest users in all or portions of the selected states was 38 ms in the District of Columbia and 39 ms in Arizona, Colorado and New Jersey. Alaska and Hawaii have the highest latency rates of 105 ms and 115 ms respectively. The higher latency rates in these two states is likely due to these two states being more geographically distant from Starlink’s constellation of satellites and not having the same density of satellites as the continental U.S.
Speedtest Performance for Starlink Users in States that Get Free Gear
The portions or entirety of 33 states or territories where Starlink has decided to offer free gear to potential customers include both high density areas such as Washington D.C. and New Jersey as well as low density states like Alaska and Wyoming. With the exception of Alaska and West Texas, all of the states have a median download speed of more than 100 Mbps.
When looking at the 25th percentile of users (which are the bottom quarter of Starlink users in download speed performance) only one state – Alaska– has a download speed in the 30 Mbps range and three states have 25th percentile users getting in the 50 Mbps range for download speeds.
In addition, when it comes to latency, 20 states have a median latency between 40-49 ms and two states on this list—Arizona and New Jersey— and Washington, D.C. —have median latency under 40 ms.
Starlink Speedtest Performance In the 50 U.S. States
How each state performs in latency, median download, and 25th percentile download
Starlink's performance in latency, median download, and 25th percentile download in all 50 states in the U.S.
Speedtest Performance in States Not Included in Starlink’s Free Equipment Offer
Many of the states where residents are not eligible to get Starlink’s free equipment offer are in the middle and southeastern areas of the U.S. and only eleven of those states have median download speeds over 100 Mbps compared to 28 states and Washington, D.C. that are in the eligible equipment list.
Median latency rates in these ineligible states are very similar to the eligible states with 14 states having a median latency rate between 40- 49 ms. However, when examining the 25th percentile of users (which are the bottom quarter of Starlink users in download speed performance) one state — Florida — has 25th percentile download speeds of just 27.12 Mbps, Washington has 25th percentile download speeds of 46.92 Mbps and Louisiana has 25th percentile download speeds of just 48.25 Mbps.
Northeast and Rural Mid-West States Win in Minimum Broadband Speeds
Only 17.4% of Starlink Speedtest users are able to get broadband speeds consistent with the FCC’s minimum requirement for broadband of 100 Mbps download speeds and 20 Mbps upload speeds. Much of this is due to Starlink’s low upload speeds, which are on the uptick but with a combined overall median upload speed of 14.84 Mbps in Q1 2025 there is still room for improvement.
However, when we look at all satellite providers that deliver service in the U.S., these providers combined are only able to provide 15.75% of Speedtest users with speeds that meet the FCC’s minimum requirement of 100/20 Mbps, which means Starlink outperforms the other providers in this category.
On a state level analysis, when comparing the median download and upload speeds collected in Q1 2025 across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., South Dakota is the No. 1 state with 42.3% of Starlink users getting the FCC’s minimum standard for fixed broadband speeds (100 Mbps downstream/20 Mbps upstream). All of the top-performing Starlink states are in the Northeastern and Midwestern U.S.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the states with the lowest percentage of users receiving 100/20 Mbps broadband speeds are primarily in the Southeastern U.S. The only state outside of that area is Alaska with the smallest number of Speedtest users —just 5.3%—receiving 100/20 Mbps.
States With the Highest % of Starlink Users that Receive 100/20 Mbps Broadband Speeds
State
% of Starlink users that receive 100/20 Mbps
South Dakota
42.3
Rhode Island
39.0
Wyoming
38.5
Maine
36.5
Massachusetts
35.1
Data as of Q1 2025
States with the Lowest % of Starlink Users that Receive 100/20 Mbps Broadband Speeds
State
% of Starlink users that receive 100/20 Mbps
Alaska
5.3
Mississippi
8.4
Louisiana
9.0
Arkansas
9.6
Florida
9.8
Data as of Q1 2025
Starlink Delivers a Viable Broadband Option for Many
In our recent U.S. state broadband report which focused on Speedtest data from the 2H of 2024, we found that the number of states with 60% or more of Speedtest users getting speeds of 100/20 Mbps had increased substantially from the 1H of 2024.
However, it was disheartening to discover that during that same time period the digital divide within many states had actually increased (some of this is attributed to the demise of the Affordable Connectivity Program) rather than decreased leading us to conclude that many of the recent broadband investments were resulting in better urban coverage rather than closing the gap in rural areas.
With Starlink’s substantial increase to its median upload and download speeds and ability to deliver broadband speeds of 100/20 Mbps to nearly 20% of Speedtest users across the country, the satellite provider is becoming an increasingly attractive broadband option for many.
With Starlink’s latest promotional offer of free equipment to consumers in areas where it has excess capacity, we expect to see the company’s subscriber count grow throughout 2025. It will be interesting to see how the LEO provider balances subscriber growth with capacity.
We will continue to monitor Starlink’s speed performance in the U.S. throughout the year. For more information about Speedtest Intelligence® data and insights, please get in touch.
Ookla retains ownership of this article including all of the intellectual property rights, data, content graphs and analysis. This article may not be quoted, reproduced, distributed or published for any commercial purpose without prior consent. Members of the press and others using the findings in this article for non-commercial purposes are welcome to publicly share and link to report information with attribution to Ookla.
Sue Marek is Ookla’s editorial director and part of the company’s analyst team. She oversees the company’s thought leadership and editorial content. Sue is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience covering the telecom industry and her work has appeared in Fierce Network, Light Reading, and SDxCentral. She is a frequent speaker at industry events and has moderated panels at Mobile World Las Vegas, Connect(x), the Consumer Electronics Show, the Competitive Carriers’ Show and 5G North America. Sue has a B.S. in journalism from the University of Colorado.
SpaceX’s satellite network showed signs of congestion in Nevada’s Pershing County last week.
Starlink today uses around 8,000 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to provide Internet connections to roughly 7 million customers around the world. But an event in the desert of Nevada last week collected enough Starlink users in one place to create a measurable effect on the company’s network in the region.
Key Takeaways:
A large number of Starlink users gathered in rural Nevada for the annual Burning Man event.
Starlink’s daily speeds in the area slowed to a low of 66 Mbps during Burning Man, but rose as the event wrapped up.
The annual Burning Man event draws enough Starlink users to affect Nevada’s statewide Starlink speeds.
Starlink satellite Internet connections have become increasingly popular at the Burning Man desert arts festival, a nine-day event that occurs annually. The festival attracted around 70,000 attendees last week. According to Ookla Speedtest Intelligence data, Starlink’s speeds slowed slightly amid Burning Man demand.
Specifically, Starlink download speeds surpassed 200 Mbps in Pershing County, Nevada – where Burning Man takes place every August – in the days leading up to the event. But during the actual Burning Man event itself – which took place from August 24 to September 1 – Starlink speeds dipped well below 100 Mbps. On August 28, Starlink speeds hit a daily low point of 66 Mbps, but then began to rise again as the event drew to a close.
It’s worth noting that, while there was a dip in speeds, Starlink users at Burning Man still received Internet speeds in rural Nevada that were faster than what some 5G networks provide in major US cities.
Starlink daily download speeds during Burning Man
In Pershing County, Nevada, USA. Burning Man was held August 24 – September 1.
Burning Man Goes Online
According to a Wall Street Journal report, Starlink services have become increasingly popular at recent Burning Man gatherings, and were prevalent across this year’s 1,500 Burning Man camps and art installations.
The event is big enough to earn itself a listing on Google Maps, and that location information is reflected in Ookla Speedtest Intelligence data for the month of August:
Moreover, Ookla recorded a major spike in the number of Speedtest users in Nevada’s Pershing County during the week of Burning Man. That’s no surprise considering Pershing County’s annual population sits at around 6,000, but spikes by 11x during the week of Burning Man.
Finally, it’s worth noting that a dip in Starlink speeds in Pershing County – one of more than a dozen counties in Nevada – also occurred last year during Burning Man. Indeed, Nevada’s median statewide Starlink speeds also dipped during the month of August 2024, mainly because of the network demands created by last year’s Burning Man during that month. But Starlink’s speeds across the entire United States were not affected.
Starlink monthly median download speeds
Burning Man is held annually at the end of August.
Network Loading
The dip in Starlink’s speeds last week was likely due to the loading that the company’s network experienced during Burning Man.
After all, a wireless network like Starlink’s satellite network is a shared resource, much like any other telecom network. As more users connect to such a network, they all compete for access to the same limited bandwidth. This competition can lead to a decrease in network performance, as the available bandwidth is divided among an increasing number of devices. Consequently, if too many users are streaming video, downloading large files, or engaging in other high-bandwidth activities at the same time, the network can become congested, resulting in slower speeds for everyone connected.
Some Starlink users are already familiar with this concept. According to PCMag, Starlink last year introduced $100 congestion charges for select areas where its network had become strained from too many users. This year, that fee rose to $250 in some cities. But in other cities where Starlink has excess capacity, the company has been offering potential customers free equipment.
Network congestion is also a well-known issue for cellular operators like Verizon and T-Mobile. That’s why some deploy temporary cell sites during major events like concerts.
According to the financial analysts at New Street Research, Starlink has so far won $387 million in BEAD grants to provide Internet services across 213,000 rural locations in the U.S.
Ookla retains ownership of this article including all of the intellectual property rights, data, content graphs and analysis. This article may not be quoted, reproduced, distributed or published for any commercial purpose without prior consent. Members of the press and others using the findings in this article for non-commercial purposes are welcome to publicly share and link to report information with attribution to Ookla.
Mike Dano is a Lead Industry Analyst in Ookla’s research and content team. He covers the North and South American markets, and global technology trends. Previously, Mike was a journalist covering the global telecom industry for 25 years at publications including RCR Wireless News, Fierce Network and Light Reading.
Expanding broadband isn’t just about laying more fiber. It’s about finding practical ways to reach the rugged, rural, and hard-to-serve places where traditional infrastructure projects are slow or cost-prohibitive. That challenge is at the heart of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s BEAD program, which is fueling one of the largest broadband infrastructure efforts in U.S. history. Fiber networks remain at the center of those plans, but the high cost and complexity of reaching remote regions means fiber alone won’t connect everyone quickly or affordably.
Because fiber and fixed wireless can’t cover every corner of the country, states are increasingly turning to satellite broadband to reach the most challenging locations. Low-Earth orbit (LEO) providers like Starlink and Amazon Kuiper are being factored into BEAD strategies as practical solutions for areas where traditional infrastructure isn’t financially or logistically viable. States like Maine and Hawaii have already used satellite service to reach homes in remote and geographically complex areas where fiber or fixed wireless deployments would be slow or cost-prohibitive.
For states looking to connect their most difficult-to-serve communities, understanding how satellite fits into the rural broadband mix is becoming essential. Watch our recent webinar where we’re joined by broadband leaders from Maine and Hawaii for a discussion on performance trends, policy implications, and the evolving role of satellite broadband.
Satellites Are Playing a Bigger Role in BEAD Allocations
Extending broadband into rural, sparsely populated, and geographically challenging areas has always required tradeoffs between cost, timelines, and technology. Fiber may deliver the strongest long-term performance, but extending it to extremely rural or geographically isolated areas can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per location and take years to complete. In Alaska, for example, Quintillion Subsea is receiving more than $113,000 per address to extend fiber—underscoring just how expensive these builds can be. Those realities have forced states to look at a wider mix of technologies, and satellite connectivity has quickly become part of that conversation.
BEAD allocations are already reflecting this shift. While fiber remains the dominant technology, satellite internet’s growing share shows that states aren’t treating it as a niche option; many are planning for it as a complementary piece of their buildout strategies—particularly in places where fiber or fixed wireless is too expensive or complex to deploy.
Fiber is receiving bulk of BEAD funds: Fiber accounts for the majority of BEAD allocations, but satellite internet has carved out a meaningful share of initial awards across several states.
Starlink and Kuiper entering the picture: Starlink currently represents about 3% of BEAD funding awarded so far, with Amazon Kuiper just under 1%.
Rising confidence in satellite internet: The share of BEAD dollars directed to satellite internet signals increasing trust in the technology as a practical option for reaching rural and hard-to-serve communities.
Even a small share of BEAD funding can cover areas where fiber builds would have stalled or taken years. Satellite connectivity is moving from a fallback option to a planned part of many states’ broadband strategies.
Real-World Deployments Show How States Are Using Satellites
The shift toward satellite connectivity is happening now. States are already using LEO satellite service to close stubborn coverage gaps that traditional infrastructure can’t reach quickly or affordably. Maine and Hawaii offer two clear examples of how the technology is being put to work today.
These states face some of the toughest connectivity challenges in the country—from remote islands and mountainous terrain to areas where no infrastructure exists at all. Instead of waiting for long fiber construction timelines, both turned to satellite as a fast bridge to reliable service. In the webinar, we got a closer look at how Maine and Hawaii are using satellite:
“Working Internet ASAP” connecting unserved homes: Maine’s Working Internet ASAP program provided more than 8,800 unserved locations with free Starlink kits and installation, focusing on households with no service options of any kind.
Hawaii blending fiber and satellite: Hawaii’s approach combines fiber and satellite internet to reach rural areas, where cutting through lava rock or laying undersea cables would be prohibitively expensive.
Early deployments tied to BEAD: Both states are aligning their satellite connectivity efforts with BEAD planning so those initial builds can transition smoothly into long-term programs.
The early adoption of satellite internet reflects both a shift in policy and a leap in performance, moving the technology from a last-resort option to an intentional part of state broadband strategies.
Strengths and Limits of LEO Satellite Technology
LEO satellite connectivity has advanced quickly in the past decade. The technology is now capable of delivering broadband speeds to places that were once all but unreachable. Locations that would have required massive fiber investments or been written off entirely can now be connected far more quickly. That shift is reshaping how states and providers think about rural deployment strategies.
Massive increases in spectral efficiency, falling launch costs, and cheaper user equipment have made satellite internet both faster and more widely available. Several technical and economic factors are driving this expansion, while also shaping where the technology is most effective.
Localized congestion remains a factor: Network slowdowns can occur in high-traffic areas, as seen in Pershing County, Nevada during the Burning Man festival.
Spectrum reuse driving capacity gains: Satellites now use more focused “spot beams” that cover smaller geographic areas. Dividing coverage into smaller zones allows providers to reuse the same frequencies in different places, which increases total network capacity without needing additional spectrum.
Lower costs enabling large constellations: Falling launch and build costs have made it financially feasible to deploy thousands of satellites, dramatically expanding the scale and reach of satellite internet networks.
Wider coverage, but limited density: Satellites can now cover nearly every corner of the country, but overall capacity remains best suited for low-density regions. Heavy usage in concentrated areas can still strain the network, and in some locations providers have introduced usage tiers or surcharges to manage excess demand.
Satellite connectivity plays a critical role in reaching rural and remote communities where fiber or fixed wireless is impractical or too expensive. It works best as one piece of a broader broadband strategy that blends multiple technologies to reach every corner of a state.
Reliability, Compliance, and Performance Monitoring
When states invest millions to bring broadband to rural communities, delivering a signal isn’t enough. Those connections need to support everyday needs like work, school, telehealth, and emergency services with consistent speeds, low latency, and reliable uptime (the amount of time a connection is available and working as expected), giving users a dependable experience day in and day out. To make sure that happens, states are moving beyond one-time performance checks at installation—where service is validated only on day one—and putting systems in place to measure how well connections perform over time.
Starlink’s latency in the U.S. averages around 40 milliseconds, well below BEAD’s 100 ms requirement—a strong indicator that the technology can meet performance targets. But environmental factors can still affect individual sites. Snow, ice, or tree cover can interfere with line-of-sight and impact connection quality, though professional setups help minimize those disruptions. States are starting to define how they’ll verify performance, ensure service meets funding benchmarks, and build accountability into satellite deployments.
Independent verification tools:Speedtest and other third-party platforms can help verify that real-world performance matches program requirements.
Strong reliability signals in Maine: The state has reported minimal complaints from satellite internet users, a good indicator of reliable service in hard-to-serve areas.
Hawaii adapting regulatory frameworks: Hawaii is modifying existing regulatory frameworks to ensure providers meet performance expectations under BEAD-funded deployments.
Enforcement mechanisms still developing: Oversight and accountability frameworks are expected to mature as satellite deployments scale.
Satellites can bring broadband to rural communities quickly, but speed alone isn’t the goal. States are putting new systems in place to make sure that connectivity remains consistent, reliable, and measurable over time.
Competition and Capacity Will Shape What Comes Next
Satellite connectivity is moving into a new phase—one defined less by proving it works and more by deciding how to use it at scale. As states plan their long-term broadband strategies, they’ll be weighing technical tradeoffs, provider options, and capacity constraints in ways they haven’t had to before.
Amazon Kuiper’s upcoming commercial launch will introduce real competition for Starlink, giving states more than one major provider to consider for BEAD-funded deployments. Starlink relies on Ku band spectrum, which is generally less sensitive to weather interference, while Kuiper will use Ka band spectrum, which can support stronger uplink capacity but may be more vulnerable to signal loss in heavy rain.
The combination of band choice and network architecture will shape how each service performs and where it fits best. As competition heats up, several factors will shape how states evaluate satellite providers under BEAD.
Kuiper entering the market: Amazon Kuiper’s commercial launch will bring new competitive pressure to Starlink’s early lead, giving states more leverage and flexibility in future deployments.
Band differences shaping performance: Ku-band (used by Starlink) is less sensitive to weather, while Ka-band (planned for Kuiper) can support stronger uplink performance but may be more vulnerable to interference. These tradeoffs will influence where each provider’s technology is best suited.
Scaling capacity as a key challenge: Expanding network capacity as more users come online will be critical to maintaining performance, particularly in rural areas with seasonal demand spikes or high-density events.
As satellite competition ramps up, states will need to balance cost, coverage, and long-term performance when deciding how these technologies fit into their broadband strategies. The choices they make in the coming years—about providers, technologies, and capacity planning—will shape how quickly and reliably rural communities get connected.
Conclusion
Satellite broadband is no longer a fringe technology. It’s being deployed today in some of the toughest connectivity environments in the U.S., and BEAD allocations show it’s becoming part of state-level planning in a meaningful way. Maine and Hawaii are proving what’s possible when satellites are used strategically, while performance improvements make the technology more viable every year.
As competition increases and deployment strategies mature, satellites are poised to play an integral role in helping close the digital divide, complementing fiber and fixed wireless to deliver broader, faster, and more resilient connectivity.
Ookla retains ownership of this article including all of the intellectual property rights, data, content graphs and analysis. This article may not be quoted, reproduced, distributed or published for any commercial purpose without prior consent. Members of the press and others using the findings in this article for non-commercial purposes are welcome to publicly share and link to report information with attribution to Ookla.
Dave Andersen is a Marketing Program Manager at Ookla, where he creates enterprise and consumer content across Ookla’s brands. Dave got his start in the telco space in 2012, producing content for RootMetrics. Dave has a bachelors in marketing from Washington State University and studied creative writing in Oklahoma State’s MFA program.
Despite performance improvements over the past three years, GEO satellite providers HughesNet and Viasat can’t compete with Starlink when it comes to latency and download speeds.
Key Takeaways
HughesNet saw its median multi-server latency improve from 1019 milliseconds (ms) in Q1 2022 to 683 ms in Q1 2025. Viasat’s median latency increased slightly over that time period from 676 ms in Q1 2022 to 684 ms in Q1 2025. But neither are remotely close to matching Starlink with its median latency of just 45 ms in Q1 2025.
HughesNet more than doubled its median download speeds from 20.87 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 47.79 Mbps in Q1 2025 while Viasat increased its median download speeds from 25.18 Mbps to 49.12 Mbps during that same time period.
Upload speeds are another area where GEO satellite constellations struggle to compete with Starlink and other low-Earth orbit systems. HughesNet has increased its median upload speeds from 2.87 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 4.44 Mbps in Q1 2025 but that is still far lower than Starlink, which has a median upload speed of 14.84 Mbps in Q1 2025. Viasat saw its median upload speeds decline over that same time period from 3.06 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 1.08 Mbps in Q1 2025.
HughesNet and Viasat are losing subscribers at a rapid rate thanks to competition from LEO satellite provider Starlink with its lower latency and faster download speeds.
Geostationary (GEO) satellite providers HughesNet and Viasat are best-known for providing consistent coverage across large land masses. But because they operate in geostationary orbit rather than low-Earth orbit (LEO) and because they have fewer satellites in their constellations, they struggle with speed limitations and latency, making it difficult for them to compete with LEO providers such as SpaceX’s Starlink.
The challenges facing these GEO satellite providers have become more pronounced over the past few years, particularly as Starlink has moved aggressively into the U.S. market with promotions such as its recent offer to provide free equipment to new customers in states where it has excess capacity.
Both HughesNet and Viasat have attempted to counteract Starlink’s impact by lowering their price plans and touting their customer service, however both companies are losing subscribers at a steady pace. HughesNet’s subscriber base has declined from 1.22 million in 2022 to just 853,000 in Q1 2025. Likewise Viasat’s subscriber count has dropped from 590,000 in fiscal Q4 2021 to just 189,000 in Q1 2025.
HughesNet and ViaSat Subscribers Over Time
2022 and Q1 2025
A comparison of HughesNet and ViaSat's subscriber counts
HughesNet, Viasat Can’t Compete in Latency
Transmitting data from a satellite to Earth is no easy feat because of the distance involved. GEO satellite systems such as HughesNet and Viasat orbit about 22,000 miles above the earth so signals have a much greater distance to travel than Starlink’s satellites that orbit the planet in low-orbit (about 340 miles above earth). Because of this HughesNet and Viasat have difficulty competing with Starlink in latency.
HughesNet uses a trio of satellites named Jupiter to form its geostationary constellation.Jupiter 1 was launched in 2012 making it possible for HughesNet to debut its first high-speed satellite internet service. In 2016, the company added Jupiter 2, which expanded its North American coverage. In July 2023 HughesNet launched Jupiter 3, a high-capacity Ka-band satellite that enabled the company to boost its download speeds and increase its capacity.
The impact of the launch of Jupiter 3 was evident in Speedtest data. HughesNet, which has traditionally had a much higher latency than Viasat, saw its median multi-server latency decline from 910 ms in Q2 2023 when Jupiter 3 launched to 853 ms in Q3 2023. The company’s median latency has continued to decline every quarter and in Q1 2025 its median latency was 683 ms and on par with Viasat but nowhere near Starlink’s average median latency of 45 ms in Q1 2025.
Like HughesNet, Viasat relies on three satellites to deliver its fixed broadband service. Viasat-1 was launched in 2011. Viasat-2 was launched in 2017 to add more capacity and geographic coverage and in May 2023 Viasat launched Viasat-3 F1 to deliver more coverage in North America. The satellite provider has said it plans to launch Viasat-3 F2 later this year and Viasat-3 F3 in 2026.
In addition to the three satellites Viasat operates, the company also owns a fleet of satellites that it acquired when it purchased Inmarsat in May 2023. Those satellites primarily operate in L-band and Ka-band and are used for maritime and mission-critical applications.
However, unlike HughesNet, Viasat’s latency has remained fairly flat over the years and increased slightly over time from 676 ms in Q1 2022 to 684 ms in Q1 2025.
A comparison of HughesNet, ViaSat and Starlink's Median Latency
Q1 2022 through Q1 2025
Starlink's low-Earth orbit median latency compared with geostationary satellite system's median latency
HughesNet, Viasat Download Speeds Are Rising But Fall Far Below Starlink
Facing competitive pressures from Starlink and other LEO players, HughesNet and Viasat have made efforts to increase their download speeds.
For example, HughesNet supports its satellite broadband service with a dedicated fiber backbone and uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically reroute traffic and reduce network congestion. The company also offers a service in select areas called HughesNet Fusion that combines satellite connectivity with ground-based fixed wireless connectivity to reduce latency and improve responsiveness.
Viasat uses an advanced spot beam technology on its satellites that are intended to more efficiently use spectrum and deliver higher bandwidth to specific geographic areas and help reduce congestion.
Of course, at the same time HughesNet and Viasat were making these improvements, both providers were losing customers at a fast rate which also helped reduce network congestion.
Speedtest Intelligence® data gathered from Q1 2022 through Q1 2025 shows that HughesNet more than doubled its median download speeds from 20.87 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 47.79 Mbps in Q1 2025 while Viasat increased its median download speeds from 25.18 Mbps to 49.12 Mbps during that same time period.
HughesNet and ViaSat Median and 75th Percentile Download Speeds
Q1 2022 through Q1 2025
ViaSat and HughesNet's median download speeds
However, these median download speeds still fall far below that of Starlink, which has steadily added more satellites to its constellation and significantly increased its median download and upload speeds. After experiencing a decline in median download speeds between Q1 2022 and Q3 2022, US Speedtest users on Starlink’s network saw their median download speeds nearly double from 53.95 Mbps in Q3 2022 to 104.71 Mbps in Q1 2025.
But when looking at the 75th percentile of users for HughesNet and Viasat we see that the majority of users actually experience much higher download speeds. For example, HughesNet subscribers in the 75th percentile saw their download speeds increase from 34.02 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 95.97 Mbps in Q1 2025. The satellite provider saw a significant increase in download speeds between Q4 2023 and Q1 2024 which was likely due to its launch of the Jupiter 3 satellite in late July 2023.
Likewise, Viasat users in the 75th percentile saw their download speeds increase from 55.06 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 78.55 Mbps in Q1 2025. Nevertheless, these download speeds are still far below Starlink. The 75th percentile of Starlink users experienced download speeds of 137.96 Mbps in Q1 2022 and that increased to 161.42 Mbps in Q1 2025.
HughesNet’s Upload Speeds Are Rising, Viasat’s Are Not
Upload speeds are also an area where GEO satellite constellations struggle to compete with Starlink. HughesNet has increased its median upload speeds from 2.87 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 4.44 Mbps in Q1 2025 but that is still far lower than Starlink, which has a median upload speed of 9.81 Mbps in Q1 2022 increasing to 14.84 Mbps in Q1 2025.
Viasat, however, saw its median upload speeds actually decline over that same time period from 3.06 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 1.08 Mbps in Q1 2025. This phenomenon was less pronounced when looking at the 75th percentile of Viasat users who experienced just a slight decline from 4.64 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 4.46 Mbps in Q1 2025.
Upload speeds are also an area where GEO satellite constellations struggle to compete with Starlink. HughesNet has increased its median upload speeds from 2.87 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 4.44 Mbps in Q1 2025 but that is still far lower than Starlink, which has a median upload speed of 9.81 Mbps in Q1 2022 increasing to 14.84 Mbps in Q1 2025.
Viasat, however, saw its median upload speeds actually decline over that same time period from 3.06 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 1.08 Mbps in Q1 2025. This phenomenon was less pronounced when looking at the 75th percentile of Viasat users who experienced just a slight decline from 4.64 Mbps in Q1 2022 to 4.46 Mbps in Q1 2025.
HughesNet and ViaSat Median and 75th Percentile Upload Speeds
Q1 2022 through Q1 2025
ViaSat and HughesNet's median Upload speeds
Maryland, Nebraska, Hawaii Benefit from Best Download Speeds
On a state-by-state basis, Maryland is a hot spot for HughesNet users, who clocked median download speeds of 98.03 Mbps and median upload speeds of 8.73 Mbps. Hughes Network Systems, which is the parent of HughesNet, is based in Bethesda, MD and it’s likely that this is where new technologies are tested and rolled out, which explains why some of the speeds may be higher in the state. In addition, HughesNet also has a lot of contracts with the federal government, including the Department of Defense and the General Services Administration, giving them an extra incentive to provide strong service in Maryland and the areas surrounding Washington, D.C.
Nebraska HughesNet users also are getting stronger speed than the rest of the country. Nebraska users experienced median download speeds of 77.11 Mbps and median upload speeds of 5.03 Mbps in Q1 2025. HughesNet Fusion, which combines satellite connectivity with ground-based fixed wireless connectivity, is offered in Nebraska and may be contributing to HughesNet’s higher-than-average median download and upload speeds in the state.
Hawaii is a hotbed for Viasat users. According to Speedtest data Viasat users in Hawaii experienced median download speeds of 77.24 Mbps in Q1 2025, which is a big increase from Q1 2022 when Viasat users in Hawaii logged median download speeds of just 18.03 Mbps.
Download Speeds Are Slowest in New Jersey, Mississippi
On the other end of the spectrum, Viasat users in Mississippi are only getting median download speeds of 27.85 Mbps as of Q1 2025 which is the lowest median download speed for Viasat in all of the 50 states.
Likewise, HughesNet users in New Jersey are only getting median download speeds of 35.56 Mbps as of Q1 2025, which is the lowest median download speed for HughesNet in all of the 50 states.
GEOs Face Uphill Battle
Despite launching new satellites and making improvements to performance over the past three years, GEO satellite providers HughesNet and Viasat are struggling to compete with Starlink and its advantages such as lower latency and faster download speeds.
Nevertheless, HughesNet and Viasat offer consistent connectivity in areas where other connectivity options are scarce and provide a viable solution for customers that are not latency sensitive.
To find out more about Speedtest Intelligence® data and insights, please contact us here.
Ookla retains ownership of this article including all of the intellectual property rights, data, content graphs and analysis. This article may not be quoted, reproduced, distributed or published for any commercial purpose without prior consent. Members of the press and others using the findings in this article for non-commercial purposes are welcome to publicly share and link to report information with attribution to Ookla.
Sue Marek is Ookla’s editorial director and part of the company’s analyst team. She oversees the company’s thought leadership and editorial content. Sue is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience covering the telecom industry and her work has appeared in Fierce Network, Light Reading, and SDxCentral. She is a frequent speaker at industry events and has moderated panels at Mobile World Las Vegas, Connect(x), the Consumer Electronics Show, the Competitive Carriers’ Show and 5G North America. Sue has a B.S. in journalism from the University of Colorado.
More than a million Canadians could be left out in the cold
In the head spinning geopolitical trade news, among many items was the canceling and uncanceling of Starlink in Ontario, Canada. In response to President Trump’s proposed tariffs on Canada, Ontario Premier Doug Ford stated on social media platform X that he planned to cancel the province’s contract with Starlink, which is owned by Elon Musk, who is working closely with Trump on a number of initiatives. However, within 24 hours of making that statement, Trump had delayed his planned tariffs and Ford said he would pause his retaliatory measures.
In Ontario and other provinces with relatively denser urbanization in their south, consumers have many options for broadband internet service. But in rural and remote areas of provinces and in much of The Territories, cancelling Starlink could result in the loss of internet connectivity entirely. Looking at Speedtest Intelligence data of Starlink users in Canada, we can estimate what might be at stake. We compared Starlink Speedtest user tests to the total number of fixed Speedtest user tests to estimate adoption trends among each Province and Territory from 2020 through 2024.
New Brunswick, Manitoba, Alberta and Ontario were the first to see traces of Starlink Speedtest users in 2020. Soon after in the first half of 2021, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Saskatchewan appeared, with Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador lighting up in the second half of 2021 as well. Then the rest of Canada came in the back half of 2022 with the territories – Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon – leaping into the picture.
Take off to the Great White North
A pattern emerges among the provinces and territories with the service launch of an adoption followed by a relative stabilization in the share of Starlink Speedtest user samples of the total fixed internet Speedtest samples.
Quite obviously the rates of adoption differ. As one would intuitively expect, the more-rural and less-population-dense areas see the steepest adoption curves. Nunavut in particular (population 37 thousand, whom all could fit inside the Rogers Center – home of the Toronto Blue Jays – yet similar in area to Mexico) rockets to the top of the chart and settles into the low-to-mid-40%s of Starlink Speedtest user sample share. Northwest Territories and Yukon, launching in the same time frame as Nunavut, also follow the more-rural-less-population-dense logic, reaching 27.8% and 20.9% share in 2H 2024.
Vertical scale notwithstanding, the pattern is this: a relatively quick market adoption with stabilization after a year roughly. Share stabilization could be due to the Starlink service fulfilling latent market demand or the satellite constellation’s capacity limits being reached (halting further sales of the service, like around Edmonton currently, for example, per starlink.com/map), or a combination of the two.
Ontario (the protagonist), British Columbia, and Quebec have the lowest percentage of rural populations in Canada, and that is reflected in their lower samples shares – 4.9%, 4.5% and 2.2%, respectively.
Bringing it back together – what is at stake? Imagine that Starlink Speedtest user share is projectable to the population of Canada. That calculates to roughly 2 million Canadians who could feel the effects of such a cancellation. While many of those affected could switch to another internet service provider, for some in Canada – Nunavut especially – satellite connectivity is sometimes the only means of accessing the internet. Some portion of these people would be casualties in a trade war.
Ookla retains ownership of this article including all of the intellectual property rights, data, content graphs and analysis. This article may not be quoted, reproduced, distributed or published for any commercial purpose without prior consent. Members of the press and others using the findings in this article for non-commercial purposes are welcome to publicly share and link to report information with attribution to Ookla.
Kerry Baker leads Ookla's research and content efforts in North America. He has over 20 years experience in the telecom industry, primarily at T-Mobile studying network performance benchmarking and customer experience. Kerry also has founder’s experience with four technology-related startups. Kerry holds masters degrees from the University of Washington in Business and International Political Economics.
