How Reliable is Starlink and How Does It Compare to NBN?
- Starlink speeds are significantly faster than the NBN fixed wireless connections and often faster than NBN solutions relying on old copper wiring (i.e. fibre to the node)
- NBN and other are cheaper from both monthly and set-up-cost perspective, but depending on different plans there are different prices, whereas Starlink is $139 a month for unlimited data and highest speeds
- Latency (is the time it takes for data to pass from one point on a network to another): Starlink latency is at 42ms as satellites are closer to earth compared to Satellite NBN (Sky Muster) at 600ms, fixed wireless NBN at 10-20ms
- Data limits: unlimited data for both, but NBN still splits data into peak and off-peak usage, with sub-limits on these within overall data limit – The more you pay on NBN, the more data you get to use
- Contracts: both contract-free, Starlink have a 30 day return policy for equipment for full refund
Starlink is currently a premium-priced product so the general consensus is that Starlink may be a better option depending on the type of NBN technology you have available. If you have NBN Satellite or NBN fixed wireless you will most likely have increased performance through upgrading to Starlink. However if you currently have fibre to the curb or fibre to the premises, then NBN would be the better option.
Table: Performance of Fixed Service Plans
| SERVICE PACKAGE | Service Availability | Latency (ms) | Expected Download (mbps) | Expected Upload (mbps) |
| STANDARD | ≥99% | 25-50 | 20-100 | 5-15 |
| BUSINESS | ≥99% | 25-50 | 40-220 | 8-25 |
| BEST EFFORT / RV | ≥99% | 25-50 | 5-50 | 2-10 |
