From Painfully Slow to Lightning Fast: SpaceX's Starlink Makes Rural Internet Usable

[Elderberry]

PC Mag by Michael Kan November 10, 2020

Rural Americans have long dealt with slow internet. But in interviews, SpaceX Starlink beta testers in Montana, Idaho, and elsewhere report speedy service that has transformed the way they use the web.

Nickolas Friedrich lives in central Montana, where his local broadband connectivity hasn't been good.

Every month, he pays about $120 for a measly 0.8Mbps download speed from the only DSL provider in town. And his connection can freeze up when too many neighbors are on the service at once.

As a result, streaming videos isn’t really possible. Instead, it can take an hour to download a low-quality 240p video from YouTube. The situation is so bad Friedrich used to go to the local library to download internet videos to his laptop so he could watch them later.

But recently, he’s been able to enjoy Netflix and YouTube at home, where the internet speeds can now shoot up as high as 170Mbps. The reason? Starlink, the next-generation satellite internet service from Elon Musk's SpaceX, that Friedrich has been helping test out. 

“It has been a lot faster than the only ISP that still services us with DSL,” Friedrich told us in a chat on Reddit. He's now considering canceling his account with CenturyLink—which has long promised a fiber rollout, but without any specifics—and switching to Starlink.

More: https://www.pcmag.com/news/from-painfully-slow-to-lightning-fast-spacexs-starlink-makes-rural-internet

[Blutarsky]

PC Mag by Michael Kan November 10, 2020

Rural Americans have long dealt with slow internet. But in interviews, SpaceX Starlink beta testers in Montana, Idaho, and elsewhere report speedy service that has transformed the way they use the web.

Nickolas Friedrich lives in central Montana, where his local broadband connectivity hasn't been good.

Every month, he pays about $120 for a measly 0.8Mbps download speed from the only DSL provider in town. And his connection can freeze up when too many neighbors are on the service at once.

As a result, streaming videos isn’t really possible. Instead, it can take an hour to download a low-quality 240p video from YouTube. The situation is so bad Friedrich used to go to the local library to download internet videos to his laptop so he could watch them later.

But recently, he’s been able to enjoy Netflix and YouTube at home, where the internet speeds can now shoot up as high as 170Mbps. The reason? Starlink, the next-generation satellite internet service from Elon Musk's SpaceX, that Friedrich has been helping test out. 

“It has been a lot faster than the only ISP that still services us with DSL,” Friedrich told us in a chat on Reddit. He's now considering canceling his account with CenturyLink—which has long promised a fiber rollout, but without any specifics—and switching to Starlink.

More: https://www.pcmag.com/news/from-painfully-slow-to-lightning-fast-spacexs-starlink-makes-rural-internet

I hate to be negative but 0.8Mbps is hardly even possible because nothing would work.  So the story is BS, and did you forget that in your last post you quoted starlink as having 15 to 120Mbps.  So 50Mbps just magically appeared.

Now onto the technical aspect, why would speeds vary so much on an airborne signal? I mean it's not like too many people on the line slow it down.

But yea if you live in the jungle it could be  big deal

[rustynail]

No one needs more than 19k dialup.

[roamer_1]

I hate to be negative but 0.8Mbps is hardly even possible because nothing would work.  So the story is BS, and did you forget that in your last post you quoted starlink as having 15 to 120Mbps.  So 50Mbps just magically appeared.

Now onto the technical aspect, why would speeds vary so much on an airborne signal? I mean it's not like too many people on the line slow it down.

But yea if you live in the jungle it could be  big deal

I know places that barely get 33.6k ...

[roamer_1]

And heck yeah, it's a big deal...

[Blutarsky]

I know places that barely get 33.6k ...

Using what source?

[Elderberry]

Rural DSL speeds are generally between 128 Kbps – 3 Mbps, which is still a lot faster than the 56Kbps "Fast Dialup". My first modem was 300 baud.

Satellite to ground communications is affected by weather. A good thunderboomer would kill my dish signal.

[roamer_1]

Using what source?

DSL/Dialup.

[roamer_1]

Rural DSL speeds are generally between 128 Kbps – 3 Mbps, which is still a lot faster than the 56Kbps "Fast Dialup". My first modem was 300 baud.

Satellite to ground communications is affected by weather. A good thunderboomer would kill my dish signal.

ALL phone is governed by the hardware in the ground... Up in here, it is dreadfully hard to put it in the ground, so even though they advertise DSL, it is dependent upon the switches and wire between !YOU! and wherever modern hardware is.

[Elderberry]

My house was built in 1960 and I went years and years before dsl was offered to me. Then when it became available I jumped on it one winter. But when spring came along and those ancient copper phone lines warmed up, it went to hell and they pulled my dsl service. I went back to dial up for a couple more years before they offered dsl again and this time I didn't have any more problems. My phone lines are all up in the air strung on poles.

[Blutarsky]

DSL/Dialup.

Really? in 2020?

The problem with that is not that it is slow, it is that there is a base speed for some things.  You know like you can not ride a 1 mph car in the center lane of the freeway because the vehicles are doing 60 to 90mph.  The modern internet requires a certain speed, the possibility though is that the idiots using such systems are still hauling water from the pond to the outdoor shower with buckets.  Sorry folks, but these people are not driving Teslas and can not barter for starlink with catfish fillets as they have no money

[Blutarsky]

My house was built in 1960 and I went years and years before dsl was offered to me. Then when it became available I jumped on it one winter. But when spring came along and those ancient copper phone lines warmed up, it went to hell and they pulled my dsl service. I went back to dial up for a couple more years before they offered dsl again and this time I didn't have any more problems. My phone lines are all up in the air strung on poles.

Why do you have phone but no cable or fiber?

[Elderberry]

So if you live in the boonies and have to settle with slow internet, that makes you an idiot?

[Elderberry]

Why do you have phone but no cable or fiber?

I already mentioned to you that I gave up cable back in the 80's and I currently run on fiber.

[roamer_1]

My house was built in 1960 and I went years and years before dsl was offered to me. Then when it became available I jumped on it one winter. But when spring came along and those ancient copper phone lines warmed up, it went to hell and they pulled my dsl service. I went back to dial up for a couple more years before they offered dsl again and this time I didn't have any more problems. My phone lines are all up in the air strung on poles.

Our wire is mostly buried... Not along the highways or down in the bottom so much, but up in the sticks, it is almost impossible to maintain wire on a pole... what with blowdowns and fires and all...

So yeah... they put it right down in the rock where it stays put.

But even here, a mile out of town, I was originally on DSL, but the line serves everything up and around the backside of the lake and on up the canyon, and on the weekend, I would literally do better with dialup... Too much weight on the line.

Finally gave up and went cable like I should have in the first place. But only because I can.

[Blutarsky]

So if you live in the boonies and have to settle with slow internet, that makes you an idiot?

Depends on what boonies means.  Some people drive hours to a store, and others wait hours for an ambulance to arrive to take their dead body to the morgue.

The fact is that the boonies are meant for the animals, so give back what you stole

[roamer_1]

Really? in 2020?

Welcome to Montana. I live in the Flathead Valley, up in the NW corner, way up in the Rockies.

It depends which way you're going, but for sure, any direction, within 10 miles of town, any modernity follows the highway... and that modernity is nat gas, electric, and phone... And anyplace along the highway, somewhere between 2 and 5 miles off the highway you are down to electric and phone, and the phone is switched for way less than DSL speeds... Another 2 to 5 miles up, and there ain't nothing but propane and satellite... Even cell don't get very far off the highway.

The problem with that is not that it is slow, it is that there is a base speed for some things.  You know like you can not ride a 1 mph car in the center lane of the freeway because the vehicles are doing 60 to 90mph.  The modern internet requires a certain speed, the possibility though is that the idiots using such systems are still hauling water from the pond to the outdoor shower with buckets.  Sorry folks, but these people are not driving Teslas and can not barter for starlink with catfish fillets as they have no money

That ain't true. Yeah, hillbillies don't have a lot of money, but they are already paying through the nose for comm services right now. SO if it is reasonable, say, competitive with current satellite TV, guaranteed folks will switch over bigtime.

Heck, I will probably sign up once I know what I am getting into... What a treat to be ALL the way into the sticks and still have superior comms not to mention watching a movie by campfire light.

[Elderberry]

Depends on what boonies means.  Some people drive hours to a store, and others wait hours for an ambulance to arrive to take their dead body to the morgue.

The fact is that the boonies are meant for the animals, so give back what you stole

And what would that be?

And obviously you have no earthly idea what boonies are.

[roamer_1]

Depends on what boonies means.  Some people drive hours to a store, and others wait hours for an ambulance to arrive to take their dead body to the morgue.

The fact is that the boonies are meant for the animals, so give back what you stole

LOLWHUT??

Y'all don't know what you're talking about.

[Blutarsky]

Welcome to Montana. I live in the Flathead Valley, up in the NW corner, way up in the Rockies.

It depends which way you're going, but for sure, any direction, within 10 miles of town, any modernity follows the highway... and that modernity is nat gas, electric, and phone... And anyplace along the highway, somewhere between 2 and 5 miles off the highway you are down to electric and phone, and the phone is switched for way less than DSL speeds... Another 2 to 5 miles up, and there ain't nothing but propane and satellite... Even cell don't get very far off the highway.

That ain't true. Yeah, hillbillies don't have a lot of money, but they are already paying through the nose for comm services right now. SO if it is reasonable, say, competitive with current satellite TV, guaranteed folks will switch over bigtime.

Heck, I will probably sign up once I know what I am getting into... What a treat to be ALL the way into the sticks and still have superior comms not to mention watching a movie by campfire light.

Well then you might benefit from starlink, but musk will rape you just the same once he has you hooked.  As for the boonies, 90 percent of the population of the World lives within an hour of an ocean. 

[Blutarsky]

LOLWHUT??

Y'all don't know what you're talking about.

I have my opinion and you have yours.  I also do not have wolves eating my dogs, but some do.  Wouldn't want to live there

[roamer_1]

Well then you might benefit from starlink, but musk will rape you just the same once he has you hooked.  As for the boonies, 90 percent of the population of the World lives within an hour of an ocean.

BWAHAHAHA! So ALL of Jesusland... ALL of Flyover country is the boonies, eh?

[roamer_1]

I have my opinion and you have yours.  I also do not have wolves eating my dogs, but some do.  Wouldn't want to live there

Damnwell likewise the other way around... And most of my dogs have been wolves.

[Blutarsky]

Damnwell likewise the other way around... And most of my dogs have been wolves.

All wolves should be free

[roamer_1]

All wolves should be free

Your ignorance is showing.

[Blutarsky]

Your ignorance is showing.

Nope, wolves do not belong in captivity.  And the ranchers who stole the wolves land should be moved

Wolves are also not dogs, though dogs are descended from wolves

[roamer_1]

Nope, wolves do not belong in captivity.  And the ranchers who stole the wolves land should be moved

Wolves are also not dogs, though dogs are descended from wolves

Riiiight.. Just stay down there in the city. And quit telling folks how to live, when you don't know a damn thing about it.

[Blutarsky]

Riiiight.. Just stay down there in the city. And quit telling folks how to live, when you don't know a damn thing about it.

When I had my camaro I drove thru Montana, and Idaho too.  One place I think it was more Southern New Mexico perhaps after I popped my cassette out of the radio the radio went fuzzy and I assumed that the tuner went.  As it turned out there was only one station on the dial that was tunable.  Sorry but you can keep that 

[roamer_1]

When I had my camaro I drove thru Montana, and Idaho too.  One place I think it was more Southern New Mexico perhaps after I popped my cassette out of the radio the radio went fuzzy and I assumed that the tuner went.  As it turned out there was only one station on the dial that was tunable.  Sorry but you can keep that

Suits me fine... And when you are standing in a soup line pretty soon because you won't have no other way, I'll just be up here with the wolves, With half an elk, half a beef, and a couple deer in the freezer, and chickens and a milk cow in the yard, and a big ol sack of seeds. Then we'll see how your modernity grabs you.

[Blutarsky]

Suits me fine... And when you are standing in a soup line pretty soon because you won't have no other way, I'll just be up here with the wolves, With half an elk, half a beef, and a couple deer in the freezer, and chickens and a milk cow in the yard, and a big ol sack of seeds. Then we'll see how your modernity grabs you.

LOL might be true but I bought more Apple than Forest, not to mention Google, Netflix and several hundred others, thousands if funds are added. 

No hard feelings, my pepper steak has to come from somewhere

[roamer_1]

LOL might be true but I bought more Apple than Forest, not to mention Google, Netflix and several hundred others, thousands if funds are added. 

No hard feelings, my pepper steak has to come from somewhere

What goes up comes down. Knock yourself out. Been there done that, decided I didn't like the t-shirt.
And you must not like that steak very much if you want ranch lands given over to wolves... Typically disjointed city thinking.

[Blutarsky]

What goes up comes down. Knock yourself out. Been there done that, decided I didn't like the t-shirt.
And you must not like that steak very much if you want ranch lands given over to wolves... Typically disjointed city thinking.

Texas makes all the steak I need.  Actually I cut down on red meat anyway, then upped the broccoli and Brussel sprouts

So did you chop the head off of your turkey yet?

[catfish1957]

Rural DSL speeds are generally between 128 Kbps – 3 Mbps, which is still a lot faster than the 56Kbps "Fast Dialup". My first modem was 300 baud.

Satellite to ground communications is affected by weather. A good thunderboomer would kill my dish signal.

???? 

I was using an external 1200 baud in 1986 back in the old BBS, bulletin board days.  300? How far damn back do you go?

[Elderberry]

???? 

I was using an external 1200 baud in 1986 back in the old BBS, bulletin board days.  300? How far damn back do you go?

That was my first modem I used with a VT100 terminal to link with the U of H back in 82. One where you cradle the phone's hand piece on the modem.

[Fishrrman]

catfish wrote:
"I was using an external 1200 baud in 1986 back in the old BBS, bulletin board days.  300? How far damn back do you go?"

300 is right.
My first "modem" was actually a Panasonic [voice] phone/modem.
I bought it at Crazy Eddie's for a closeout price.

It looked like an ordinary office telephone, but it had an RS232 port on the back.
I had to custom-make a cable to plug into the back of my Apple //c.

You dialed the number "by hand", then waited for the connection (and the modem "tones"), then threw a switch, and the computer was connected!

Later on, I got a 1200bps modem (a real one, no phone), and thought that was fast...!

I used the Panasonic for years afterwards, as "a regular telephone"...

[roamer_1]

Waking this back up with some new info...

Got a hillbilly friend that is on the SpaceEx trial...

The hardware cost about 400 bucks, And consists of a powered microwave dish, about 100 ft of primary cable, a 10' patch cable, a power block/modem thingy, and a wireless router.

Setup was easy... a fixed place for the dish within 100', scan the northern sky with an app in your phone to figure out if you have enough clear space toward where the stats are flying... I guess you set the dish up level, run all the wire and plug everything together to get it ready, and then power the dish, which will auto-seek till it becomes stationary.

He's getting about 50mbs average with a latency of about 30ms, though there are times he's running over 120mbs (wow)... Cellular-over-wifi and voip both work... Excellent streaming (by comparison), and less trouble from wind and weather than he'd had previously with Hughs, Direct, and other sats.

Outtages mostly seem to be coming from the other end, and he speculates the short intervals to be sats realigning with each other as more are added... Something in a config reboot.... He has only had one major outage, which was about a half hour in the middle of the night (which sounds like an admin reboot to me)...

It is still pretty beta, but he is told to expect (that they are shooting for) an honest 100/120mbs. The cost monthly is around 100 bucks, which he is splitting with his kin sharing the connection. 3 houses are using the connection with reasonable success.