I've Used Starlink Every Day for 4 Years. Its Speeds Have Taken an Unexpected Turn

I review the latest laptops and write about cutting-edge AI tools, but I'm based in Idaho, in farm country. My ground-based internet options are pitiful, and my daily work demands high speeds, low latency, and rock-solid reliability. So I've been using Starlink satellite internet for years now. Since 2022—a little over a year after public signups opened for SpaceX's satellite internet service—I've been testing and reviewing Starlink service and equipment, including the current residential dish and the portable Starlink Mini. I've watched the connection quality improve over the years, and turned my initial testing and review into a long-term survey of real-world performance. Starlink has transformed from good enough to fantastic, earning multiple Editors’ Choice awards and approaching a long-awaited initial public offering. In my fifth year of testing Starlink, the nature of the service is fundamentally changing. SpaceX is no longer just chasing raw speed or connection consistency; instead, the service is forcing users to navigate a new reality of network congestion, priority tiers, and a shifting value proposition. My latest 2026 data shows that while upload speeds and latency have cleared impressive new performance milestones, download speeds may be hitting a ceiling as the network matures.