Starlink Internet Experience

After fighting for 18 years for a decent internet connection, I was finally able to clear enough sky to install a Starlink dish. Over the years in Pollock Pines, we had virtually no reliable options. We tried them all — DirecWay, HughesNet, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T Business Internet. The choices available were limited to satellite or 3G/4G/4G LTE/5G, all of which were unreliable or had serious limitations.

Infinity Internet, while available in some homes up here, offered to install cable at our place — for a staggering $33,000. That was just to connect us to a pole 2,000 feet away. They also expected us to buy a repeater and cover all the pole lease fees. Meanwhile, the county received over $1.5 billion for internet improvements, but they spent it in areas already serviced by fiber and cable. The government’s promise to bring internet to rural communities has been, frankly, a sham.

Back to Starlink — I received the kit, and just like they said, within five minutes I was up and running. In my area, the system only requires 110 degrees of clear sky to the north. Thanks to years of tree removal for defensible space, we finally had the opening needed.

The initial performance was mind-blowing. Starlink advertised 148 Mbps down and around 30 Mbps up in our area — but we’re actually seeing speeds closer to 350 Mbps down and between 11–30 Mbps up. It varies slightly depending on satellite location and user traffic, but overall, it’s been an incredible solution. At $120 a month, it’s not cheap — but for those who can afford it, it’s absolutely worth it.

AT&T Business Internet was the best option I found before Starlink, for homes without traditional internet. It costs $107 a month, promises 100 Mbps download speeds, and caps usage at 200 GB. It’s internet-only — enough for basic use and maybe a few movies. The catch? You have to own a business to qualify. Luckily, with the Collie Rescue we had a 501(c)(3). Still, the experience was rough. Actual download speeds ranged from 2 to 16 Mbps — nowhere near what was promised. The Netgear hotspot they provided constantly overheated unless you removed the battery and left the cover off. The router also had to be rebooted multiple times a day. “Business Internet” was the label, but it hardly lived up to the name.

Verizon and T-Mobile were no better. Their plans capped out at 100 GB per month and charged overage fees. Speeds were similar to AT&T but more expensive. Satellite services had tiny data caps, massive overage fees, and horrible latency. HTTPS websites loaded slowly, and any kind of weather meant outages.

Rural internet customers in America are being ripped off by these companies. In the city, you can get fiber internet for $40–$60 a month with consistently high speeds. 5G home internet thrives in cities thanks to sufficient bandwidth. But in rural areas, we get charged more for slower speeds and tighter data caps. It’s an exploitative system. In Pollock Pines, there are two towers within three miles, but 5G barely works. Most of the time it falls back to 4G. These towers weren’t installed for locals — they’re for travelers on Highway 50 between Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe. On weekends, the towers are so overloaded that internet becomes unusable.

Starlink has been a savior for rural residents. No data caps and excellent speeds allow us to finally do whatever we want — even stream movies, which was previously impossible. Elon Musk and his investment in this technology have made a real difference.

Some people don’t like Musk because of his politics or business associations. Say what you will — the guy is a genius. Tesla, SpaceX, Starlink, AI, and other ventures he’s created have been a boon for Americans.

If you live in a rural area and are on the fence about Starlink, don’t hesitate. Use the app to check for open sky. If the standard 55-foot cable isn’t long enough, order an extension. There are many installation options, and the new Gen3 model even includes two Ethernet ports for easy integration into your network. I use my mesh system for the home, and guests connect to the Starlink Wi-Fi. This keeps my personal network secure while still offering great internet to visitors.

Thank you, Elon Musk, for putting Starlink in the sky. Your forward-thinking and genius have provided a truly valuable service to people around the world.