Starlink is one of the fastest growing satellite aided internet provider, it has become the best possible option for rural areas which do not have the pre-requisite infrastructure for Fiber connectivity. The advantages that such internet connections provide range of benefits such as , Unlimited data and fast speeds. The Idea behind the service has been to provide the users with reliable internet in rural remote areas.
What Is Starlink
Starlink works through Low Earth Orbit Satellites which help the users connect with the internet and transmit data. One of the biggest appeals of Starlink is the speed and the unlimited data. Beyond that the users can easily access speeds of around 100 Mbps to 200Mbps. A certain priority plan further increases the possible speeds to 220 Mbps. Out of all satellite internet connectivity, providers the one from Starlink offers the lowest latency. Even in the international market, the residential plans start at Rs $120 per month. And beyond that, the user would also have to provide an equipment charge of $349.
Fiber internet
Fiber internet uses fiber optic cables to transmit data. These cables consist of glass cables where a laser sends light pulses through a glass cable. It’s these light pulses that carry along the data. These types of internet are generally the most used to offer faster internet speeds at the most reasonable prices. Speed and value are two of the most profound aspects of such internet connection.
One of the biggest disadvantages of the Fiber internet would be that its availability in rural areas is often pretty erratic.
Speed Comparison
Starlink cannot provide the speeds that Fiber technology is capable of; Starlink speeds top out at around 220 Mbps while the fiber technologies can offer speeds up to 8,000Mbps. So Starlink would not be able to beat the Fiber networks on the basis of speed.
Latency Comparison
Starlink internet connections that approach the satellite directly have high latency For easier understanding latency can be understood as the duration it takes a signal to travel from one point on the network to the other. Since the signal has to travel from one point to another as satellites orbit so high up in the sky there is a delay in the overall processing of a command.
While in normal usage there would not be much of a difference but if you were to use the internet while playing online games a considerable difference would be apparent. Fiber offers better reactions and latency about as low as it can get. This leads to excellent performance even while using the most demanding applications.
Considering the overall spread of benefits and drawbacks, Starlink Internet would be one of the best choices for users from rural areas. These would include areas such as Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia. With the partnership of Airtel Jio and Space X’s Starlink its possible that new affordable plans might be launched soon in the domestic markets as well.
