[HDRider]

We lucked out here. They are widening the highway and that means moving all the telephone lines. That and a grant meant Fiber for us and many people that did not have it before. We got our fiber last summer and it has been wonderful. When we built we could not even get a telephone line so getting fiber at no cost to us was amazing.

The county south of me is mostly served by one electric co-op. They have now put fiber down to serve most of that county.

 

[Rodeo's Bud]

"Not even a little bit. It's another satellite company. "

And Chevy is another car company. My point is just that one satellite company has nothing to do with another satellite company. They don't use the same equipment, the same satellites, the same customer service.

The sad truth of customer service is that you never know how it's going to be until you need help. I've been in situation where the customer support is terrible. I'm in one with AT&T right now, using their MiFi for my internet. But I'm not going to judge another internet company by that experience. If I did, I would be stuck with AT&T, or nothing.

Is your middle name contrarian. Jeez.

Anybody who has had to use satellite as an only option, completely understands someone's hesitation.

It sucks, it always gets worse instead of better. It never works, it coats a fortune to drop once you realize it doesn't work.

We gotbto where you could barely check emails and were paying 120 bucks a month for that awesome service.

So unless you have direct experience, you have no idea of what you are talking about.

 

[todd_xxxx]

Since it seems you must have direct experience with Starlink, and so are the only one that knows what you are talking about, please, share your experience.

For the record, the only internet in my area is MiFi or satellite, and I've had both. I have MiFi right now with AT&T and I'm paying $100 a month for 100Gb, and an extra $20 a month for every 10Gb you go over. The service is no where near 100Mps, the latency times are horrible, and 100Gb runs out far too early in the month. I need another option, and Starlink is one I haven't tried yet, and if it lives up to the results people have gotten that have actually tested it, it will be far better than what I have now.

If you have already decided that all satellite sucks and isn't worth the money based on your experience with one company, then don't sign up for Starlink. No one is forcing anyone.

 

[Danaus29]

Close as I am to a major city, fiber optic does not run to our area. Our phone company is always calling me to get their fiber optic intenet service, and every time I tell them to hook me up. A couple days later they call me and tell me there is no service in my area. Then I ask them why they call me about hooking it up.

I just checked Starlink. They do not offer service in my area but for $100 they will put me on a waiting list. $500 set-up fee, $100 a month for unspecified service, plus fees and taxes which equal more than a year worth of Spectrum service. They did not have any way to check on what service, how much data, data speed or any information on their service or products.

 

[todd_xxxx]

We don't even have the option of DSL, so we're kind of stuck in our choices.

 

[mreynolds]

These are low orbit satellites. Not the ones used by Hughes net.

Bezos is also trying to come out with one along with Gates. They are behind so far. But there will be other options soon.

Starlink is already available in Canada I hear and some northern states. It beta right now so I think cancellation is doable in the beta test.

 

[Rodeo's Bud]

Since it seems you must have direct experience with Starlink, and so are the only one that knows what you are talking about, please, share your experience.

For the record, the only internet in my area is MiFi or satellite, and I've had both. I have MiFi right now with AT&T and I'm paying $100 a month for 100Gb, and an extra $20 a month for every 10Gb you go over. The service is no where near 100Mps, the latency times are horrible, and 100Gb runs out far too early in the month. I need another option, and Starlink is one I haven't tried yet, and if it lives up to the results people have gotten that have actually tested it, it will be far better than what I have now.

If you have already decided that all satellite sucks and isn't worth the money based on your experience with one company, then don't sign up for Starlink. No one is forcing anyone.

Not starlink, but ViaSat.

I'm not saying not to use Starlink, I am saying I understand the hesitation.

Believe me, if we had a choice between Viasat and Starlink, I would jump on Starlink as fast as they let me.

I hope it is a great success. It is definitely needed in many areas.

 

[SLFarmMI]

Not starlink, but ViaSat.

I'm not saying not to use Starlink, I am saying I understand the hesitation.

Believe me, if we had a choice between Viasat and Starlink, I would jump on Starlink as fast as they let me.

I hope it is a great success. It is definitely needed in many areas.

Will let you know once we get ours. Anything has to be better than what we have now, limping along on a combination of hot spots and my phone.

 

[MO_cows]

The upfront cost puts me off. It would cost $700 to get started.

At our electric coop meeting a few years ago there was a presentation that this was coming. Made it sound like it would be cheap.

 

[wil14]

Starlink and Hughes are not comparable as others have mentioned. Here is a thread where beta testers have been posting their speed results. Honestly guys, this is a game changer for folks looking to live in remote areas.

Edit link formatting is pretty bad so I'm pasting it plain txt

Link:reddit.com/r/Starlink/comments/i9w09n/list_of_confirmed_starlink_speed_tests/

 

[IlliniosGal]

I just checked Starlink. They do not offer service in my area but for $100 they will put me on a waiting list. $500 set-up fee, $100 a month for unspecified service, plus fees and taxes which equal more than a year worth of Spectrum service. They did not have any way to check on what service, how much data, data speed or any information on their service or products.

Holy COW!! $500 down, and a $100 to put you on a waiting list, that is crazy talk! I had Hughes and Dish years ago, never, ever, ever again will I use a satellite service, it was a mess of outages, overages, slowdowns, extra fees.
I have Rise Broadband, I get the signal off the top of the elevator in town. $63 for super high speed unlimited a month, I run my phone, laptop, and two Roku TVs with numerous steaming services and in the almost year I have had Rise I have not had one problem. The charged me nothing down, nothing for installation and I could drop them anytime I want for no charge.

 

[Rodeo's Bud]

I assume Starlink will go to that business model as well eventually.

They will have to, as other isp's continue to do it to keep them out of the market.

Right now, I agree. It would be hard to pay that. However, after using Viasat, I would for sure if I could afford it.

 

[SLFarmMI]

It looks to be a whole lot cheaper than what we are currently paying for the hot spots we are using.

 

[GunMonkeyIntl]

After reading this thread, the wife and I discussed it and put down our deposit. Like @mreynolds , we’re at the end of a long run of DSL, and our internet stinks. We explored a couple other options mentioned here (like the Verizon LTE) and can’t get them here.

The $500 in Starlink equipment isn’t unreasonable, and we’d make it back up in about 8 months after we turn off the DSL. If the internet really is functional for streaming, we’ll also cancel direct TV, and pay for the equipment in just a few months.

I really do hope they make their “mid-late” this year goal for our area. They’ll have a check on the way the same day they send the email.

 

[HDRider]

at the end of a long run of DSL

I am the final node on my DSL line.

Being generous, my reliability is a 7 on a scale of 10, 10 being perfect. I get almost 6MB download, and less than 512K up. My latency is 66 ms +/-

How does your compare?

 

[HDRider]

Consider his propensity for hyperbole, but SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says the company’s Starlink satellite internet service “will double” speeds to customers “later this year.”

 

[GunMonkeyIntl]

I am the final node on my DSL line.

Being generous, my reliability is a 7 on a scale of 10, 10 being perfect. I get almost 6MB download, and less than 512K up. My latency is 66 ms +/-

How does your compare?

It had been a while so I just tested.
1.05 Mbps Down
230k Up
75 ms latency

About 2-5 days per month, our internet acts like we’re on a 28.8 baud dial-up. When we call the provider, they tell us nothing is wrong in our area, then, within a few hours it’s back to “normal”. At first, we didn’t call, and the non-useable periods would last for days at a time, but, every time after calling, they have it unscrewed a few hours later. Hmmmmm...

 

[HDRider]

It had been a while so I just tested.
1.05 Mbps Down
230k Up
75 ms latency

About 2-5 days per month, our internet acts like we’re on a 28.8 baud dial-up. When we call the provider, they tell us nothing is wrong in our area, then, within a few hours it’s back to “normal”. At first, we didn’t call, and the non-useable periods would last for days at a time, but, every time after calling, they have it unscrewed a few hours later. Hmmmmm...

I have CenturyLink. Their customer services is totally offshore, and all they can do is read script in a form of English that is almost indecipherable.

 

[GunMonkeyIntl]

I have CenturyLink. Their customer services is totally offshore, and all they can do is read script in a form of English that is almost indecipherable.

Same here.
The wife handles all that stuff, and I just asked her. She agreed that their phone CS is almost unusable, so she uses a chat function they offer.

 

[HDRider]

wife handles all that stuff

You lucky