How fast is Elon Musk’s Starlink — the results are in

Starlink satellite tracker image in focus on phone with Starlink logo in background
(Image credit: Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

After launching in public beta back in November 2020, SpaceX has continued to expand the number of low-earth orbit satellites that make up its Starlink satellite internet service in an effort to provide high-speed internet to users worldwide.

Ookla, the company behind the popular speed testing app, recently reexamined Starlink’s download and upload speeds to see how they’ve improved over the past year in the U.S., Canada and other countries around the world.

According to a new blog post from the network intelligence firm, median download speeds for Starlink have dramatically increased between the first quarter of 2021 and 2022 in the U.S. and Canada. While the service’s speeds saw a 38 percent increase in the U.S., speeds in Canada have gone up by nearly 58 percent in the same time period. Starlink users in the U.S. can expect to get speeds of around 90.55 Mbps while Canadian users should see speeds close to 97.40 Mbps.

While Starlink’s download speeds have increased, Ookla’s Speedtest Intelligence shows that upload speeds decreased by almost 33 percent from 16.29 Mbps during the first quarter of last year to 9.33 Mbps in Q1 2022. At the same time, Starlink’s median latency increased from 40 ms to 43 ms in the U.S. and from 51 ms to 55ms in Canada though these changes are likely negligible for most users.

Image of Starlink RV dish placed on the ground for internet connectivity

(Image credit: SpaceX)

The U.S. and Canada aren’t the only places Starlink adoption has increased while the service’s speeds have improved as Ookla highlights in its report.

In Mexico, Starlink had the fastest satellite internet in North America during the first quarter of this year with a median download speed of 105.91 Mbps followed by Starlink in Canada and the U.S. However, in Puerto Rico, HughesNet took the top spot with download speeds of 20.54 Mbps.

In Europe though, Starlink was the fastest satellite internet provider in the continent with 100+ Mbps median download speeds in every country where it was commercially available. In Lithuania, Starlink reached download speeds of 160.08 Mbps but Starlink in the UK had the worst download speeds in the region at 102.21 Mbps which is still really good.

The same holds true in South America where Starlink was the fastest satellite internet provider in Chile with a median download speed of 110.49 Mbps. In Oceania, Starlink reached download speeds of 124.31 Mbps in Australia and 118.70 Mbps in New Zealand. 

The sky is about to get a bit more crowded 

Man using a laptop in the countryside

(Image credit: Deliris/Shutterstock)

Getting high-speed internet in rural areas was quite difficult before satellite internet became widely available. Now though with Starlink , HughesNet, Viasat and other options, you can still get decent internet even if the place where you live lacks the necessary infrastructure.

As a result of Starlink’s recent success, Ookla notes that other companies are looking to compete with SpaceX in the space. For instance, Amazon’s Project Kuiper recently received permission from the FCC to test its own satellite internet service which is set to launch later this year. Meanwhile, Inmarsat and Viasat are set to merge and begin launching new satellite constellations by 2023.

Now that competition is beginning to heat up in the satellite internet space, consumers can expect better speeds, improved coverage and possibly even discounted prices as newcomers like Amazon could aim to undercut Starlink to bolster their own market share.

Anthony Spadafora
Managing Editor Security and Home Office

Anthony Spadafora is the managing editor for security and home office furniture at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches to password managers and the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. He also reviews standing desks, office chairs and other home office accessories with a penchant for building desk setups. Before joining the team, Anthony wrote for ITProPortal while living in Korea and later for TechRadar Pro after moving back to the US. Based in Houston, Texas, when he’s not writing Anthony can be found tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home. 

Read more
Starlink app
Starlink internet coverage, cost, speeds and the latest news — what you need to know
Project Kuiper satellites on display at CES
Amazon Project Kuiper: Everything you need to know about Amazon’s satellite internet service
Loading bars with various animals depicting internet speeds
What internet speed do I need? Here's how many Mbps is enough
Teenage boy gaming in his room
Comcast unveils Ultra-Low Lag tech that reduces latency to 'faster than blink of an eye' — boosts everything from FaceTime calls to GeForce Now gaming
iPhone 16 Pro Max shown in hand
Apple and SpaceX just added Starlink connectivity for select iPhone users
Google Pixel 9 vs Pixel 9 Pro vs Pixel 9 Pro XL
Starlink support confirmed for Google Pixel 9 series — as long as you're on T-Mobile
Latest in Tech
Columbia Sportswear and Intuitive Machines partnership
Columbia Sportswear’s UV-blocking technology just landed on the moon, and I spoke to the materials scientist who designed it
iPhone 16e review.
What Tom’s Guide tested this week — the iPhone 16e is the most polarizing phone of the year
A split screen photo showing a coffee grinder on one side and a smart watch on the other
What Tom’s Guide tested this week: Sony, OnePlus, Corsair and more
A split screen image showing an instant camera on the left and a Dyson vacuum on the right
What Tom’s Guide tested this week: Expert reviews of Dyson, Insta360 and more
A composite of Soundcore Space One Pro headphones and Sony ZV-1F vlogging camera
What Tom’s Guide tested this week: 5 products that won our expert reviewers’ hearts
A person assembling the LEGO Botanicals Bouquet of Roses Artificial Flowers set
Amazon deal takes 20% off this Lego rose bouquet — and it'll ship for free before Valentine's Day
Latest in News
Try Galaxy home screen on iPhone 16 Pro Max
You can now try Samsung's latest One UI 7 software on your iPhone — here's how
Asus ROG Ally X
Xbox handheld reportedly being made with Asus — all to take on Steam Deck
A person typing on a laptop with warning messages displayed on screen
240 million Windows users under attack — update your PC now before hackers strike
Genshin Impact on a OnePlus Nord 4
Genshin Impact on Android finally adds controller support — 4 years after iOS
A render of the iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max just tipped for this performance secret weapon
Google Play logo on an android smartphone with corner hole punch camera
At least 5 North Korean spy apps have been found on Google Play — what you need to know