Starlink Speed in Michigan: How Fast Has it Gotten Over the Years?

You may be seeking to know Starlink speed in Michigan before you make an order. We got you covered.  Starlink offers decent internet options for many, especially those who live in rural areas.  Nearly 94% …

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Written by: Bob Smith

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Starlink Speed in Michigan

You may be seeking to know Starlink speed in Michigan before you make an order. We got you covered. 

Starlink offers decent internet options for many, especially those who live in rural areas. 

Nearly 94% of Michigan is considered rural areas, and therefore it is one of the states that can benefit from this internet service most.

 However, the company is still expanding and some parts of the US are still waiting for the services. 

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Is Starink Available in Michigan?

Currently, Starlink is available in Michigan for both residential and business use. 

The Northern US states that border Canada, including Michigan, are the first to get Starlink services since it is one of the regions the company did beta testing. 

However, not all parts of these states could fully get the service.

During the beta test, only a selected few would get the service, as the rest of the subscribers had to be put on the Best Effort waiting list.

 This package offered a much slower speed and higher latency than the normal Starlink package. 

Thankfully, SpaceX has now removed waitlisting in this state. Meaning, you can now sign up and get the service fully.

 Individuals in remote locations in Michigan can now access a strong internet speed with lower latency. 

SpaceX has increased Starlink’s capacity by launching more satellites.

The expansion has reduced strain on the network in states like Michigan.

 Currently, the service covers around 75% of the US. Only 25% of the nation are on the waitlist by 2023. 

Starlink users in Michigan report a speed between 25 Mbps and 220 Mbps, depending on your location within the state.

 Though Starlink advertises up to 220 Mbps for residential subscribers, not many areas can achieve this. 

Starlink satellites still mostly depend on ground stations for communication.

 You will have to be close to a ground station to get a better speed and Michigan doesn’t have enough as of now. 

That said, the majority of residential users experience around lower 100 Mbps or slightly lower. 

Business and Marine users experience more than 200 Mbps in the state. 

However, the company advertises a speed of up to 500 Mbps for business users. The upload speed is between 5 Mbps and 20 Mbps. 

Starlink speed is much better compared to satellite competitors such as Hughesnet and Viasat in Michigan. 

For instance, Viasat advertises up to 150 Mbps download speed, but most users report a much lower than 100 Mbps download speed. 

Hughesnet is the slowest in the state but can hit up to 25 Mbps in some parts of the state. 

Furthermore, Starlink also offers faster download speed than DSL in some areas. 

The only cable that can offer a download speed of between 100 Mbps – 1 Gbps and fiber optic with up to 1 Gbps and above are faster than Starlin in most areas of Michigan. 

The company promises as low as 20-40 ms latency for its service. 

However, most users in the state report around 48 ms, which is still lower than what other satellite competitors offer. 

Starlink generally has low latency, mostly due to the placement of satellites in low Earth orbit. 

Distance is a key determinant of satellite latency. Satellites set closer to the Earth’s surface offer lower latency than those set up high. 

Network congestion also plays a role in determining the latency of a satellite internet service. 

The latency is low during low traffic and tends to rise during peak hours. It can go up to 100 ms in some parts of Michigan during peak hours. 

Starlink charges vary depending on the package and, to some extent, your location.

 The residential package comes at a monthly fee of $110 after purchasing the hardware for $599. 

You may incur shipping charges depending on your location and installation fees. 

However, SpaceX designed Starlink for easy DIY installation. Most people handle the project themselves and save the installation fees.  

Starlink also offers packages for RV users at $135 a month. The hardware cost is similar to that of the Residential package. 

Business and Maritime packages can cost up to $2,500 for hardware. 

The monthly charges for a Business Plan are around $500 on average. The maritime cost is between $250 and $5,000 a month. 

That said, Starlink is not the cheapest satellite internet service you can find in Michigan. 

However, given its advantages over other satellite services, it is worth the money.

Starlink antenna receiver placed on the ground 

Starlink antenna receiver placed on the ground 

Starlink internet speed and latency in Michigan are great, as mentioned above. 

An average 100 Mbps speed and as low as 20 ms latency means you will not wait for long to download a file. 

Besides, the latency and speed are enough to handle high data rate internet activities such as online gaming, and video calls, among others. 

With low-latency broadband internet, you can use any streaming service for live TV and movie streaming. 

You can stream the latest HD and 4K shows even on multiple devices without any worry. 

Starlink offers Residential, Business, Aviation, and Maritime packages. 

For that reason, it doesn’t matter where you want to use the service.

 Michigan has four of the five great lakes in the US and if you want an internet network that will serve you well while sailing, the Starlink Marine package is worth your money. 

FAQ

There is no specific Starlink waiting time. You simply have to wait until the company expands its services to your area. 

In most cases, customers report waiting for several months, with some complaining of having been waiting for multiple years. 

SpaceX is expanding the Starlink satellite constellation at a faster rate.

 Currently, the company has launched thousands of satellites and is planning to hit a maximum target of 42,000 satellites soon for reliable global internet coverage.

View of Elon Musk satellites at night

View of Elon Musk satellites at night

Most Starlink users in Michigan have reported that they managed to get their orders within 1-2 weeks. 

If the order is taking too long, you can check the status and see if it has already been shipped. 

Simply log into Starlink.com and, on your account dashboard, scroll down and check the status of your order. 

Final Thought

Michigan is one of the states to first receive Starlink service. The speed of this internet service in the region is amazing. 

Compared to traditional satellite internet services such as Hughesnet and Viasat, Starlink is a better deal in the state. 

Only cabled internet services or fiber optics can offer a better speed. 

As such it has turned out to be a great alternative in parts of the state where cable or fiber optic internet infrastructure cant access. 

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