{"id":228361,"date":"2025-10-27T15:19:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T15:19:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/228361\/"},"modified":"2025-10-27T15:19:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T15:19:10","slug":"spacex-starlink-speeds-have-increased-50-this-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/228361\/","title":{"rendered":"SpaceX: Starlink Speeds Have Increased 50% This Year"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Don&#8217;t miss out on our latest stories. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=pcmag.com\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"(Opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Add PCMag<\/a> as a preferred source on Google.<\/p>\n<p>If you subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.starlink.com\/residential\/pcmag?referral=RC-DF-5246683-61923-53&amp;utm_source=pcmag&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=affiliate_ziffdavis_editorial-pcmag\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"(Opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Starlink<\/a>, have you noticed faster internet speeds? SpaceX says download and upload rates for its satellite internet service have significantly improved since January.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Over the weekend, SpaceX\u2019s VP for Starlink Engineering, Michael Nicolls,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/michaelnicollsx\/status\/1982101090675069344\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"(Opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"nofollow\">tweeted<\/a>\u00a0a graph charting this year&#8217;s speed increases. Although Starlink.com <a href=\"https:\/\/starlink.com\/map?view=download\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"(Opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">already<\/a> publishes expected speeds across each US state, Nicolls\u2019 graph seems to focus on the median speeds during peak hours across the entire network.<\/p>\n<p>    <a class=\"text-gray-600\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/michaelnicollsx\/status\/1982101090675069344\" title=\"(Opens in a new tab)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><br \/>\n        This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.<br \/>\n    <\/a><\/p>\n<p>The graph shows that median download rates for Starlink were between 140Mbps and 160Mbps in January, but have since risen to 210 to 220Mbps\u2014or about a 50% increase.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In addition, the median upload rates have also increased by 50%, rising from around 20Mbps to 30Mbps. Nicolls <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/michaelnicollsx\/status\/1982123188373901467\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"(Opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"nofollow\">attributes<\/a> the faster speeds to \u201csome significant low-level software and networking improvements, in addition to the overall capacity increases,\u201d from new Starlink satellites entering into service.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Interestingly, the upload rate improvement seems to have occurred in late July, when Starlink suffered an hours-long outage that it later <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/news\/spacex-traces-starlink-outage-to-network-upgrade\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">blamed<\/a> on a mysterious &#8220;upgrade procedure.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Nicolls posted the tweet a day after SpaceX sent an email to prospective customers, <a href=\"https:\/\/starlink.com\/residential\/starlink-speeds-and-performance?referral=RC-DF-8607971-83356-61\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"(Opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">touting<\/a> &#8220;speeds up to 400+ Mbps.&#8221; Some customers have also posted speed test cores <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fqb8afaccbixf1.png\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"(Opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">showing<\/a> their download rates occasionally topping 400Mbps.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The satellite internet system has long focused on delivering high-speed broadband to rural and remote areas. However, the company has also increasingly discussed Starlink as a competitive alternative to ground-based fiber internet providers in its effort to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/news\/spacex-to-colorado-youre-spending-too-much-on-fiber-internet-why-not-starlink\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">secure<\/a> more federal funding through the US Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.\u00a0SpaceX is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/news\/spacex-poised-to-receive-300-million-in-broadband-funds-to-serve-200k-locations\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">already<\/a> poised to receive over $300 million in federal funds, although the majority of the deployments are still slated for fiber providers.  <\/p>\n<p>        Recommended by Our Editors<\/p>\n<p>To encourage more sign-ups, SpaceX has been promoting even bigger discounts, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/news\/spacex-expands-free-starlink-dish-offer-across-us-but-you-dont-actually\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">offering<\/a>\u00a0a \u201cfree\u201d Starlink dish to new customers on the Residential service and slashing the monthly service price.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The company is also working to deliver\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/news\/spacex-offers-new-look-at-v3-starlink-satellite-for-gigabit-speeds\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">gigabit<\/a>\u00a0internet speeds by launching next-generation V3 satellites. However, SpaceX has indicated that customers will need to purchase new hardware to access the gigabit connections.<\/p>\n<p>In PCMag&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/reviews\/starlink\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">most recent tests of Starlink<\/a>, mean download speeds increased from 148Mbps in 2024 to 177Mbps this year. Daily top speeds also climbed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/articles\/spacex-starlink-2025-satellite-internet-performance-tests\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">higher than ever<\/a> before, peaking at 315Mbps. Meanwhile, the lowest speed results never dropped below 42Mbps during the full testing period and stayed above 50Mbps the majority of the time.<\/p>\n<p>        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"opacity-20 absolute right-0 top-0 z-0 hidden md:block\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/images\/newsletter-envelope.svg\" alt=\"Newsletter Icon\" style=\"max-width:220px; max-height:140px; pointer-events:none;\"\/><\/p>\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"opacity-20 h-full w-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/images\/newsletter-envelope.svg\" alt=\"Newsletter Icon\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\n            Get Our Best Stories!\n        <\/p>\n<p>                                    Your Daily Dose of Our Top Tech News<\/p>\n<p>                                                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"h-auto w-full rounded-md object-cover md:rounded-l-md\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/17768392-contextual.fit_lpad.size_250x140.v1752614006.png\" alt=\"What's New Now Newsletter Image\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Sign up for our What&#8217;s New Now newsletter to receive the latest news, best new products, and expert advice from the editors of PCMag.<\/p>\n<p>Sign up for our What&#8217;s New Now newsletter to receive the latest news, best new products, and expert advice from the editors of PCMag.<\/p>\n<p class=\"roboto-flex mt-2 text-xs font-normal leading-tight text-black md:whitespace-nowrap\">\n                        By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our <a class=\"underline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/terms\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Terms of Use<\/a> and <a class=\"underline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/privacy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.\n                    <\/p>\n<p class=\"text-green-500 mt-2 text-xl font-bold\">Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n<p class=\"mt-2\">Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!<\/p>\n<p>        About Our Expert<\/p>\n<p>                                                            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-[60px] shrink-0 overflow-hidden rounded-full bg-gray-100 ring ring-white\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/06W4G6A5rmg4LxEffqKnnc6.fit_lim.size_100x100.v1560221550.png\" alt=\"Michael Kan\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Michael Kan<\/p>\n<p>Senior Reporter<\/p>\n<p>Experience<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I&#8217;m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country&#8217;s technology sector.<\/p>\n<p>Since 2020, I&#8217;ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX&#8217;s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I&#8217;ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink&#8217;s cellular service. <\/p>\n<p>I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/news\/did-avast-sell-your-data-heres-how-to-get-a-piece-of-the-ftc-settlement\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the FTC forced Avast<\/a> to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/news\/the-cost-of-avasts-free-antivirus-companies-can-spy-on-your-clicks\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">investigation<\/a> with Motherboard.<\/p>\n<p>I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/news\/i-camped-out-at-best-buy-to-get-an-rtx-3000-graphics-card-feel-my-pain\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">led me to camp out<\/a> in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I&#8217;m now following how President Trump&#8217;s tariffs will affect the industry. I&#8217;m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.<\/p>\n<p>                                        <a class=\"w-fit self-end text-base font-bold uppercase leading-none underline\" data-module=\"author-bio\" data-element=\"read-full-bio\" data-item=\"text_link\" data-position=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/authors\/michael-kan\" aria-label=\"Michael Kan &#039;s Full Author Bio\" x-track-ga-click=\"\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n                        Read Full Bio<br \/>\n                    <\/a><\/p>\n<p>                <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Don&#8217;t miss out on our latest stories. Add PCMag as a preferred source on Google. If you subscribe&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":228362,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[90,416,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-228361","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-space","8":"tag-science","9":"tag-space","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228361","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=228361"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228361\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/228362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=228361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=228361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=228361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}