Starlink Internet Cost Australia, Having launched its service in Australia in April 2012, Starlink has gained enormous popularity lately.
The company promises fast and reliable internet, especially in the remotest and underserved regions.
It does this by using sophisticated technologies and low earth orbit satellite constellation.
While the service gains traction in rural regions, many individuals seek to know about its reliability and performance.
That’s why I bring you my thorough research on Starlink internet cost in Australia.
In this research, I will discuss its performance, costs, and comparison with alternatives and tell you if it’s worth the hype.
Table of Contents
- Where is Starlink Available in Australia
- How Much Does Starlink Cost in Australia
- How is Starlink Australia Performing
- How Does the Starlink Internet Compare to Other Alternatives in Australia
- Is Starlink Worth it in Australia?
- Conclusion
Where is Starlink Available in Australia
The company entered Australia in 2021, covering several Victoria and New South Wales regions.
Today, it has set up more than 20 ground stations making its service available in all the states and territories.
You can visit the Starlink website and enter your address to know if the service covers your premises.
Australia map
How Much Does Starlink Cost in Australia
While the service offers faster internet speed than most competitors, it is expensive. Below are the two main internet plans that Starlink offers in Australia.
Residential plan
Its residential plan costs a $139 monthly subscription regardless of your residency in the country.
This price does not include the shipping fee and handling fee, which is about $115.
In addition, you will also have to pay $924 for equipment, including a dish, router, cable, and tripod.
The equipment and the shipping is generally the most expensive part of the deal.
However, the company offers lengthy discounts which reduce this price by almost 50%, plus free shipping.
Therefore you should keep an eye on these discounts.
While this service may seem steeper than other satellite internet, it offers unlimited data. Also, its speeds are very fast even if you reside in remote areas.
Starlink antenna
Business plan
This plan is the most high-end one suitable for businesses and heavy internet users.
As you may expect, you will have to part with much cash compared to the residential plan.
For example, the equipment costs a one-time fee of $3740 plus $155 shipping and handling costs.
For this price, you get a more powerful antenna and 1TB priority access data at a download speed of 220 Mbps.
You will also get unlimited basic access; the monthly subscription fee is $374.
While Starlink is for self-installation featuring a detailed manual, if you require professional installation, this cost may go up.
Starlink for RV and maritime
These are two plans for users without a fixed address.
For RV Starlink, also known as roaming, you pay $174 for regional roaming and $300 for global.
However, the equipment is the same as the residential plan, but you get lower bandwidth and unprioritized data.
On the other hand, Starlink Maritime costs $1510 for 1TB or $7530 for 5TB, plus a one-time $3740 for equipment.
How is Starlink Australia Performing
Internet performance can be measured in terms of latency and speeds. The higher the speed and the lower the latency, the better the internet.
Download Speeds
Starlink’s advertised business plan download speed is between 250 to 350 Mbps and 10 to 25 Mbps upload.
Its residential package experiences download speed between 100 and 200 Mbps and 5 to 15 Mbps upload speed.
While the service can attain these speeds theoretically, in reality, it may reduce.
For example, Ookla, an internet speed testing company, reports the speed of residential plans to be about 106 Mbps.
This speed is still enormous compared to many providers in this country. However, note that satellite internet fluctuates due to weather and congestion.
Another factor that may hinder the performance is the distance between the satellite and the user device.
Download speed representation
Latency
Latency, or lag or ping, is the duration between data sending and reception by two devices.
Lower latency is ideal for real-time online games like video gaming and conferencing.
While Starlink promises low latencies, a big distance is involved, which hinders this promise. In writing, the company advertises latencies between 20 and 40 ms.
However, the above Ookla testing reports 63 ms, significantly higher than fiber and cable services.
Wireless connections always experience low lags since data travel through cable and at a shorter distance.
Starlink has yet to launch the aimed fleet of satellites hence the low latency. As they continue to launch more, we anticipate one-digit latencies.
How Does the Starlink Internet Compare to Other Alternatives in Australia
We can not conclude our discussion without comparing Starlink with other internet providers in the country.
Sky Muster NBN
Before Starlink entered the country, Sky Muster was the main satellite internet supplier in remote areas.
Sky Muster is the main system the NBN uses to deliver satellite internet to users in remote locations.
When you compare speeds, Starlink is the superior option providing more than 100 Mbps with no data cap.
Sky Muster NBN offers 25 Mbps speed with significant data caps, especially when streaming and using VPN.
But their prices are between $30 to $70, which is low compared to Starlink.
This price range makes this internet suitable for light internet users.
Fixed-Line NBN
Fiber line NBN offers its plans via technology such as FTTN, FTTC, FTTB, and FTTP. This technology means where the fiber optics infrastructure is from your location.
If you get the lower quality; Fiber to the node plan, you are operating NBN25 with 25 Mbps. For fiber to the curb FTTC, you get NBN50 which is 50Mbps.
These two speeds are lower than Starlink, which advertised more than 200Mbps.
However, Starlink may not be available in densely populated cities, given that each satellite can serve a specified number of users.
For this reason, Fixed-line is my recommendation for city dwellers. Although it may have data caps, its prices are low, and latencies are one digit.
Note that higher ties of NBN100 and NBN250 offered through FTTB and FTTP are better than Starlink in terms of performance.
Optic fiber illustration
Wireless NBN
Wireless NBN uses the 4G network that phones use.
It leverages the nearest transmission tower to bring internet to your home via preinstalled antennae.
There is no comparison between Starlink and Wireless since the latter is superior.
While wireless NBN Plus offers 75 Mbps speed, Starlink offers more than 250 Mbps.
Other basic wireless NBN plans offer 25 Mbps with data caps, while Starlink has no cap.
However, Wireless NBN prices are low and may be ideal for light usage.
5G Home Internet
It may be challenging to compare Starlink and 5G home internet since both serve different purposes.
While 5G is suited for urban areas, Starlink is ideal for remote areas. However, both are alternatives if you live in areas with no Fiber network.
It is important to know that 5G is superior to Starlink in areas where both are available.
Additionally, 5G offers speeds of 300 to 600 Mbps at a cheaper price than Starlink.
Is Starlink Worth it in Australia?
If you live in regional areas where Fiber and 5G networks are limited, Starlink is worth considering.
With this network, you can perform all online tasks without data caps.
But, the price may seem steep given that other satellite internet alternatives are improving their infrastructure.
Starlink app
Conclusion
Having compared Starlink with other alternatives, we see that the internet is more expensive than its competitors.
However, it is a viable option for people living in remote areas requiring high-speed and uncapped internet.
