We awaited Starlink to be available in the PH for a long time, fully believing in the Elon Musk hype. It goes without saying that a lot still doubted that even this enormous company could do anything about the internet accessibility issues in the country, especially when it comes to far-flung areas. Well, there’s been a new discovery. Starlink is faster than all other Internet Service Providers in the PH…. COMBINED.
How is that even possible? Ookla, the authority on global internet speeds, released its findings for the first quarter of 2023. What it found was that the median download speed of Starlink users is 110.78 Mbps, greater than the sum of everyone else’s median result. It’s a display of the reliability of the service and will definitely entice more Filipinos to sign onboard.
There are a couple of caveats though. Firstly, the latency is quite a bit higher than other providers at 162ms. That’s a bit high for professional gamers who may experience lag despite the astronomical download speeds. The second one is that this statistic may have an underlying reason behind it. Starlink in the PH is only offered in a single service, while other ISPs have multi-tiered internet services on offer. Some have extremely affordable options for households that don’t need the fastest internet, only to access it. And we’re inclined to believe that since a multitude of users are signed up to these services, the average internet speed for each company will really be dragged down.
The advantage of Starlink, especially in the PH, is that you can have it installed just about anywhere. However, it requires buying a Starlink kit composed of the satellite dish and router that will initially set you back PHP 29,320 upfront, and the PHP 2,700/month payments after that. While it’s just a fraction of US prices, it’s still a hefty sum when compared to other ISPs here in the country.
So what do you think of this statistic? Is it enough to get you onboard the hype train? Let us know!