Ookla’s latest analysis finds that Starlink’s median download speed is much faster than the UK’s fixed broadband average.
The analysis uses Speedtest data from Q2 2021 and found the average Starlink download speed to be 108.30 Mbps, over double the UK’s fixed broadband average of 50.14 Mbps.
Starlink’s lead narrowed in upload speed where it posted an average of 15.64 Mbps, compared to the UK’s fixed broadband of 14.76 Mbps.
Unsurprisingly, Starlink struggled more than fixed broadband when it comes to latency. While still posting a respectable showing of 37ms, the UK’s fixed broadband average was less than half (which is a good thing here!) with an average of 15ms.
It’s a different story in the US where Ookla’s analysis finds the country’s average fixed broadband download speed of 115.22 Mbps slightly outpaces Starlink’s local speeds of 97.23 Mbps. However, both are posting far higher speeds than satellite operators HughesNet and Viasat with their speeds of 19.73 Mbps and 18.13 Mbps, respectively.
Once again, Starlink shines with its acceptable latency that could even support competitive multiplayer gaming. The painfully high latency of its satellite rivals would make many applications difficult or impossible:
Satellite internet providers like Starlink are designed for rural customers that have little other option, but Ooka’s analysis shows they can more than hold their own even when compared to what most fixed broadband operators offer today in countries like the UK, France, Germany, New Zealand, and Canada.
You can find Ookla’s full Starlink analysis here.
(Image Credit: Starlink Mission by SpaceX under CC BY-NC 2.0 license)
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