Satellite Internet Speed Test Results 2026: Starlink, HughesNet, Viasat Data

Key Takeaway

Starlink’s US median download speed reached 117.74 Mbps in Q4 2025 according to Ookla, more than doubling from 54 Mbps in Q4 2022. Globally, Starlink delivers 80-130 Mbps median depending on region. HughesNet delivers 25-40 Mbps and Viasat 30-60 Mbps. Starlink’s upload speed (15.2 Mbps median) remains a relative weakness but far exceeds GEO providers at ~3 Mbps.

Starlink US Speed Test Data (Q4 2025)

The most comprehensive speed test data comes from Ookla’s Speedtest Intelligence platform, which aggregates millions of user-initiated tests. Here are the latest verified numbers for Starlink in the United States.

Metric	Value
Median download speed	117.74 Mbps
Median upload speed	15.2 Mbps
Mean download speed	131.5 Mbps
Mean upload speed	17.8 Mbps
Median latency	32 ms
90th percentile download	220+ Mbps
10th percentile download	35-50 Mbps

The distinction between median and mean is important. The median (117.74 Mbps) tells you what the typical user experiences - half of all tests are faster, half are slower. The mean (131.5 Mbps) is higher because it is pulled up by users in low-congestion areas hitting 200-400 Mbps. The median is the more useful number for setting expectations.

The 10th percentile (35-50 Mbps) represents the experience in congested areas during peak hours. Even at the bottom of the range, Starlink outperforms GEO satellite providers and exceeds the FCC’s broadband definition of 100/20 Mbps at the median.

Starlink Global Performance by Region

Starlink performance varies significantly by region due to differences in constellation density, number of ground stations, subscriber density, and regulatory environments.

Region	Median Download	Median Upload	Median Latency	Notes
United States	117.74 Mbps	15.2 Mbps	32 ms	Densest ground station network, highest subscriber count
Europe	120-140 Mbps	14-18 Mbps	28-35 ms	Strong performance across Western Europe; lower in Eastern Europe
Oceania (Australia/NZ)	80-110 Mbps	10-15 Mbps	35-50 ms	Fewer ground stations, improving steadily
South America	60-90 Mbps	8-12 Mbps	40-55 ms	Rapid subscriber growth straining capacity in Brazil
Africa	40-70 Mbps	5-10 Mbps	45-65 ms	Newest service regions, fewest ground stations
Asia (where available)	70-100 Mbps	10-14 Mbps	35-50 ms	Limited availability, growing in Philippines, Japan

Europe leads in performance thanks to a dense network of ground stations and Starlink’s orbital inclination providing excellent coverage at European latitudes. Africa shows the lowest speeds, which is expected given that Starlink launched most recently there and ground station infrastructure is still being built out.

Why regions differ: Speed is not just about satellite density. Ground stations connect the satellites to the internet backbone. More ground stations mean shorter data paths and less congestion at each station. Subscriber density also matters - regions with rapid growth but limited ground station build-out (like parts of South America) experience more congestion.

HughesNet and Viasat Speed Test Data

GEO satellite providers deliver significantly lower speeds, though HughesNet’s Jupiter 3 satellite and Viasat’s ViaSat-3 constellation have improved their performance.

HughesNet (Jupiter 3 / EchoStar XXIV)

Metric	Value
Advertised download	50-100 Mbps
Median real-world download	25-40 Mbps
Median upload	3 Mbps
Median latency	600-650 ms
Data cap	100-200 GB priority (then 1-3 Mbps)

HughesNet’s real-world speeds consistently fall below advertised maximums. The service improved substantially with the Jupiter 3 satellite (launched 2023), which brought capacity to handle higher speeds. However, data caps remain the biggest limitation - after exceeding your monthly priority data, speeds throttle to 1-3 Mbps.

Viasat (ViaSat-3)

Metric	Value
Advertised download	25-150 Mbps
Median real-world download	30-60 Mbps
Median upload	3 Mbps
Median latency	600-800 ms
Data policy	Unlimited (850 GB soft cap, then deprioritized)

Viasat’s Unleashed plans removed hard data caps, which is a meaningful improvement over HughesNet. However, after 850 GB of usage, speeds may be deprioritized during congestion. Real-world performance averages 30-60 Mbps, with wide variation depending on time of day and beam congestion.

GEO vs LEO: The Fundamental Difference

The 600-800ms latency of HughesNet and Viasat is not a performance issue that can be fixed with better technology. It is a physics limitation. GEO satellites orbit at 35,786 km altitude. A signal must travel 35,786 km up, get processed, and travel 35,786 km back down - a minimum 71,572 km round trip through space. At the speed of light, this takes approximately 240ms each way, or 480ms round trip. Add processing time, routing through the ground network, and return path, and you get 600-800ms of unavoidable latency.

Starlink’s LEO satellites orbit at 540-570 km. The same round trip is roughly 1,100 km, resulting in 20-60ms latency. No amount of engineering can make GEO competitive with LEO on latency.

Historical Speed Trends: Starlink 2022-2026

Starlink’s speed history tells a clear story of network maturation. As SpaceX has launched more satellites and built more ground stations, median speeds have climbed steadily.

Period	US Median Download	Satellites in Orbit	Subscribers (Approx.)
Q4 2022	~54 Mbps	~3,500	~1 million
Q2 2023	~65 Mbps	~4,500	~1.5 million
Q4 2023	~75 Mbps	~5,500	~2.3 million
Q2 2024	~90 Mbps	~6,500	~3.5 million
Q4 2024	~105 Mbps	~7,500	~5 million
Q2 2025	~110 Mbps	~8,500	~7 million
Q4 2025	~117.74 Mbps	~10,100	~10 million

The key insight: speeds have more than doubled from 54 Mbps to 117.74 Mbps despite the subscriber base growing 10x. This means SpaceX is adding capacity (satellites and ground stations) faster than subscribers are consuming it. That is an encouraging trend for existing and future users.

However, the rate of improvement has slowed. From Q4 2022 to Q4 2023, speeds grew roughly 39%. From Q4 2024 to Q4 2025, growth was about 12%. This suggests the network is approaching a capacity equilibrium in mature markets like the US, where subscriber growth and capacity expansion roughly balance each other.

Speed by Time of Day

Satellite internet speeds fluctuate throughout the day as usage patterns change. This is true for Starlink, HughesNet, and Viasat.

Time Period	Starlink Speed (Typical)	Congestion Level
6 AM - 12 PM	120-180 Mbps	Low - morning hours see lighter usage
12 PM - 5 PM	100-150 Mbps	Moderate - afternoon work and streaming ramp up
5 PM - 7 PM	90-130 Mbps	Moderate-high - evening usage begins
7 PM - 11 PM	60-100 Mbps	Peak - streaming, gaming, and general browsing peak
11 PM - 6 AM	130-200+ Mbps	Low - overnight is the least congested period

Peak hours (7-11 PM local time) consistently show the lowest speeds across all satellite providers. This is when households are streaming video, gaming, and browsing simultaneously. Starlink’s deprioritization system kicks in during these hours for users who have exceeded their priority data allocation.

For users who need maximum speed for large downloads, backups, or software updates, scheduling these tasks for overnight or early morning hours can yield speeds 50-100% higher than peak evening performance.

Speed by Plan Tier

Starlink’s tiered plans offer different speed ceilings and priority levels.

Plan	Advertised Download	Real-World Median	Priority Data	Monthly Price
Starlink Lite	Up to 100 Mbps	40-80 Mbps	None (always best-effort)	$80/mo
Residential	Up to 200 Mbps	100-150 Mbps	Unlimited standard priority	$120/mo
Business	Up to 350 Mbps	150-250 Mbps	40 GB priority, then standard	$250/mo
Business Priority	Up to 350 Mbps	150-250 Mbps	1-2 TB priority	$500+/mo
Roam 50 GB	Up to 100 Mbps	50-100 Mbps	50 GB	$50/mo
Roam Unlimited	Up to 260 Mbps	80-150 Mbps	Unlimited standard priority	$165/mo

The Lite plan is notably slower because it receives the lowest network priority. During congested periods, Lite users are deprioritized below Residential users, who are deprioritized below Business users. In uncongested areas, Lite speeds can approach Residential levels.

The Business plan’s higher speed ceiling of 350 Mbps is enabled by the Standard dish’s full capability - the same hardware, but with fewer software-imposed restrictions and higher network priority.

Upload Speed Comparison

Upload speed is often overlooked but critical for video calls, live streaming, cloud backups, and uploading content. Satellite internet has historically been weak on uploads.

Provider	Median Upload Speed	Upload/Download Ratio
Starlink	15.2 Mbps	12.9% of download
HughesNet	~3 Mbps	8.6% of download
Viasat	~3 Mbps	5-10% of download
Fiber (for reference)	100-1,000 Mbps	50-100% of download
Cable (for reference)	10-35 Mbps	5-15% of download

Starlink’s 15.2 Mbps median upload is roughly 5x faster than GEO competitors. This is sufficient for HD video conferencing (requires 3-5 Mbps), cloud file syncing, and most remote work tasks. It is not sufficient for professional-quality live streaming (typically needs 25-50 Mbps upload for 4K).

Latency and Jitter: Real-World Measurements

Speed tests measure throughput, but for interactive applications (gaming, video calls, trading), latency and jitter matter just as much.

Metric	Starlink	HughesNet	Viasat
Median latency	32 ms	620 ms	650 ms
Latency range	20-60 ms	580-700 ms	600-800 ms
Jitter (typical)	5-20 ms	5-15 ms	10-30 ms
Jitter (spikes)	Up to 100+ ms	Up to 50 ms	Up to 80 ms
Packet loss	0.1-0.5%	0.1-0.3%	0.2-0.5%

An interesting finding: GEO satellites actually have lower jitter than Starlink under normal conditions. This is because GEO satellites are stationary relative to the ground, so the signal path length does not change. Starlink’s jitter comes from constant satellite handoffs as LEO satellites move across the sky. However, Starlink’s dramatically lower base latency more than compensates - 32ms with 20ms jitter is still far better than 620ms with 10ms jitter for any interactive application.

Starlink’s occasional latency spikes (up to 100ms+) occur during satellite handoffs and typically last 0.5-3 seconds. These are the “micro-outages” that users notice during video calls or gaming as brief freezes or stutters.

How V3 Satellites Will Impact Speeds

SpaceX has begun deploying V3 satellites (sometimes called Starlink Mini satellites due to their smaller form factor designed for ride-sharing on Falcon 9). These next-generation satellites promise significant performance improvements.

Specification	V2 Mini (Current)	V3 (Next Generation)
Throughput per satellite	~20-23 Gbps	~80-100 Gbps (projected)
Laser inter-satellite links	Yes	Yes (higher bandwidth)
Frequency bands	Ku/Ka-band	Ku/Ka-band + E-band
Expected impact on user speeds	Current baseline	2-4x capacity increase per satellite

The projected 4-5x throughput increase per satellite means that as V3 satellites replace older V1 and V1.5 units, network capacity should grow substantially. SpaceX has also received FCC approval for an additional 7,500 satellites, bringing the authorized total to over 19,000.

Realistic projections suggest that V3 deployment, combined with continued ground station expansion, could push Starlink median US speeds into the 150-250 Mbps range by late 2027. However, this depends on how quickly subscriber growth absorbs the new capacity.

Speed Test Methodology: What You Are Actually Measuring

Not all speed tests measure the same thing. Understanding the methodology helps interpret results accurately.

Ookla Speedtest

Ookla (speedtest.net) is the most widely used speed test and the source for most of the data in this article. It measures:

• Download: Multi-threaded TCP connections to the nearest Ookla server, measuring maximum throughput over ~10 seconds
• Upload: Same methodology in reverse
• Latency: ICMP ping to the test server before the speed test begins
• Limitation: Tests to the nearest server, not to the specific services you use. Your speed to Netflix or a game server may differ.

Fast.com (Netflix)

Fast.com measures download speed using Netflix’s CDN servers. This is more representative of streaming performance but less useful for general internet speed. It does not test upload speed by default (you have to click “Show more info”).

Starlink App Speed Test

The built-in Starlink app test measures the connection between the dish and Starlink’s network, bypassing your local WiFi. This is useful for isolating whether speed issues are satellite-related or WiFi-related. If the app shows 150 Mbps but your laptop gets 50 Mbps, the bottleneck is your WiFi, not Starlink.

Community Speed Tests (Reddit, r/Starlink)

User-reported speed tests on forums provide anecdotal data points but suffer from reporting bias - users are more likely to post unusually good or bad results. Treat individual posts as data points, not as representative averages.

Best Practices for Testing Your Connection

1. Use wired ethernet to eliminate WiFi as a variable
2. Test at different times - morning, afternoon, and peak evening hours
3. Run multiple tests - a single test is not representative
4. Test to multiple servers - try Ookla servers in different cities
5. Close other applications - background downloads and streaming skew results
6. Test both the Starlink app and Ookla - compare satellite performance vs end-to-end performance

FAQ

Why is my Starlink speed lower than the median reported here?

Several factors can cause below-median speeds: network congestion in your area (especially during 7-11 PM peak hours), obstructions blocking part of the sky view, being on the Lite plan with lower priority, local WiFi issues, or distance from the nearest ground station. Test with a wired ethernet connection first to rule out WiFi as the bottleneck. Check the Starlink app for obstruction alerts and connection quality data.

Are Starlink speeds getting faster or slower over time?

Faster. US median download speeds have more than doubled from 54 Mbps (Q4 2022) to 117.74 Mbps (Q4 2025), despite the subscriber base growing from roughly 1 million to 10 million. SpaceX is deploying satellites and ground stations faster than subscriber growth is consuming capacity. The next major improvement will come from V3 satellites, which offer 4-5x the throughput per satellite.

Why are HughesNet and Viasat so much slower than Starlink?

Two reasons: orbit altitude and technology generation. HughesNet and Viasat use geostationary (GEO) satellites at 35,786 km altitude, which means longer signal paths and higher latency. They also share bandwidth across larger geographic areas with fewer total satellites (1-3 satellites vs Starlink’s 10,100+). GEO satellites are much more expensive to launch and replace, which limits how quickly these providers can add capacity.

How do Starlink speed tests compare to fiber and cable?

Starlink’s median download of 117.74 Mbps is competitive with cable internet (typically 100-300 Mbps) but well below fiber (typically 300-1,000+ Mbps). On upload speed, Starlink (15.2 Mbps) trails both cable (10-35 Mbps) and fiber (100-1,000 Mbps). On latency, Starlink (32ms) is close to cable (15-30ms) but behind fiber (5-15ms). For rural users without access to cable or fiber, Starlink provides a meaningfully better experience than any previously available option.

What speed do I actually need?

For most households, 50-100 Mbps download is sufficient for all common activities. 4K streaming requires 25 Mbps per stream. HD video calls need 5-10 Mbps. Online gaming needs 10-25 Mbps with low latency. Web browsing and email need under 5 Mbps. Starlink’s median of 117.74 Mbps comfortably handles a household with simultaneous streaming, video calls, and browsing.