Starlink Slows Down during Burning Man

Starlink uses around 8,000 low Earth orbit satellites to provide Internet connections to roughly 7 million customers around the world. But a recent event in the desert of Nevada collected enough Starlink users in one place to create a measurable effect on the company’s network in the region. Starlink satellite Internet connections have become increasingly popular at the Burning Man desert arts festival, a nine-day event that occurs annually. The festival attracted around 70,000 attendees. According to Ookla Speedtest Intelligence data, Starlink’s speeds slowed slightly amid Burning Man demand. Specifically, Starlink download speeds surpassed 200 Mbps in Pershing County, Nevada—where Burning Man takes place every August—in the days leading up to the event. But during the actual Burning Man event itself—which took place from August 24 to September 1—Starlink speeds dipped well below 100 Mbps. On August 28, Starlink speeds hit a daily low point of 66 Mbps, but then began to rise again as the event drew to a close.