What are the differences between Starlink and traditional satellite internet (such as Viasat or HughesNet)?
Okay, no problem. Let's talk about the differences between Starlink and traditional satellite broadband (like Viasat). I'll try to explain it in simple terms, without any jargon.
You can imagine these two as two different types of lighthouses.
Traditional satellite broadband (Viasat/HughesNet) is like a super lighthouse built on top of Mount Everest.
- Far, very far: This "lighthouse" is in a "geosynchronous orbit" about 36,000 kilometers above the Earth. It orbits in sync with the Earth's rotation, so from the ground, it appears to stay in the same position in the sky.
- Pros: Because it's so high up, one "lighthouse" can illuminate half the Earth, providing massive coverage. Your home's receiving dish (antenna) only needs to be aimed once and never moved again.
- Fatal Flaw: It's too far! Your internet request signal has to travel 36,000 kilometers there and back twice, which takes time. This results in extremely high latency (Ping).
What does this high latency feel like?
- Playing online games? Forget about it. Especially for shooting or fighting games, by the time your 'shoot' signal reaches the server, you might already be defeated.
- Video calls? Very awkward. You'll often find yourselves talking over each other, then stopping simultaneously, because there's always a half-second to one-second delay, making for a poor experience.
- Browsing websites? Also slow. Every time you click a link, you have to wait for the signal to make a round trip, making web pages feel "unresponsive."
Starlink, on the other hand, is like having thousands of low-flying drone lighthouses scattered above your hometown.
- Close, very close: These "drone lighthouses" (satellites) are in "low Earth orbit" (LEO), only about 550 kilometers above the ground. They are a massive swarm, densely flying around the Earth.
- Pros: Because they are close to you, the signal's round trip distance is extremely short. This significantly reduces latency (Ping), making it comparable to ground-based fiber optic broadband.
- How it works: The white square "dish" (phased array antenna) on your roof is actually a very smart device. It automatically looks up to find and track satellites flying overhead. When one satellite is about to fly out of range, it seamlessly switches to the next one, ensuring uninterrupted internet connection.
What does this low latency and new model feel like?
- Online gaming? No problem. Latency is very low, similar to playing with fiber optics, very smooth.
- Video calls? Very clear. It's like making a regular phone call; you barely notice any delay.
- Watching HD/4K videos? A piece of cake. Because they are close, the signal is strong, and download speeds are much faster, so you barely have to wait for buffering when watching online videos.
Summary
| Feature | Starlink | Traditional Satellite (Viasat/HughesNet) |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit Altitude | Very low (approx. 550 km) | Extremely high (approx. 36,000 km) |
| Latency (Ping) | Extremely low (20-40 ms), like fiber optic | Extremely high (600 ms+), like a long-distance call |
| Speed | Fast (typically 100Mbps+) | Slow (typically around 25Mbps, and unstable) |
| Experience | Smooth for gaming, video calls, and HD video | Barely sufficient for web browsing, email |
| Antenna | Smart flat-panel antenna that auto-tracks satellites | Traditional fixed-direction large dish |
| Analogy in one sentence | Fiber optic network in the sky | Dial-up internet in the sky (exaggeration) |
In a nutshell, traditional satellite solved the problem of "having" internet, but the experience was terrible. Starlink, however, truly brings "usable" internet to remote areas where fiber optics can't reach, marking a revolutionary upgrade. If you live deep in the mountains or on a remote island, where you previously had to put up with the choppy internet of Viasat, switching to Starlink will feel like going from a bumpy country road straight onto a highway.