For people living in rural areas or places where traditional internet providers don’t reach, Starlink has been a game changer. The satellite-powered service makes reliable connectivity possible in areas that were often left out. Now, the company is making it even more affordable for new customers to sign up with the lowest monthly prices we’ve seen so far.
The Starlink standard kit is currently available for $175 – half off its usual $349 cost. Unlike previous discounts that were restricted to specific regions, this promotion is open nationwide, so anyone interested in trying satellite internet can take advantage.
Starlink hasn’t announced how long the deal will last. Past offers have stuck around for a few months, but availability can change without notice. If you’ve been considering Starlink, this may be the best time to lock in a lower price and see if the service works for you.
Don’t miss any of CNET’s unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add us as a preferred Google source on Chrome.
Is Starlink your best option for internet service?
Starlink has been a game changer for many people living in rural areas but I generally only recommend it as a last resort. That’s partly because of its high price tag — its standard rate of $120 per month is still far higher than the $78 average price in the US — and partly because of its performance.
According to a recent report from the speed test site Ookla, Starlink users receive median speeds of 105Mbps down and 15Mbps up. That’s plenty of bandwidth for many households but it still falls short of what the Federal Communications Commission defines as broadband. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
The speeds you get from Starlink are also dependent on how many users there are in your area. One recent study from Penn State University found that Starlink’s satellites can handle just 6.66 households per square mile before service starts to dip below the FCC’s minimum standard. That doesn’t mean you won’t have enough speed to do everything you need online — a Zoom meeting only requires about 4Mbps, for instance — but it does give you an idea of how network congestion impacts Starlink.
If there’s a cable or fiber internet connection available at your address, I’m always going to recommend one of those over Starlink. They might come with their own frustrations, but they’re almost always faster and cheaper than satellite providers.
Read more: Choose the Best Internet Provider for Your Home With Help From an Expert
To see what’s available to you, enter your address on the FCC’s broadband map. You’ll see a list of providers, the type of technology they use and the speeds they say they can deliver.
Read the full article here