We measured Starlink’s capabilities across the country

In cooperation with our partner Omikron Informatikai Ltd., we travelled around Hungary to measure the performance of Starlink and compare it with mobile internet, from the lowland steppe to big cities and mountains. The results are impressive.

Starlink, revolutionising satellite internet, provides fast and stable connections even in places without terrestrial infrastructure. While other technologies use a single satellite, typically orbiting the Earth above the equator, Starlink uses thousands of satellites in much lower orbits. This allows faster internet connections of up to 350 Mbps, with minimal latency and much higher reliability.

With the kind assistance of Omikron Informatikai Ltd. we could carry out measurements in various locations around the country to verify these data. For the test, we used the standard fixed V3 antenna – which, contrary to its name, is very easy to move and can be installed anywhere with a car inverter.

The test sites were as follows:

• District VIII of Budapest, a typical metropolitan area with high rise buildings.
• Derecske in Hajdú-Bihar county, a small town of 8,000 inhabitants.
• The field near the Nine Hole Bridge in Hortobágy steppe.
• An urban, but less densely built-up area of Debrecen.
• Köves-tető, a tree-covered mountaintop of the Mecsek Mountain near Pécs.

The comparison was based on the local 4G mobile network, measured with an iPhone 13.

The one-week trial proved that Starlink is easy to install anywhere and the internet connection is absolutely reliable. Even the clouds did not affect the data transfer. So it really is a good choice for any business that needs a good internet connection.

And then let’s see the results (charts by Omikron):

 

This was not our first probe: we had previously tested Starlink’s speed using several different methods. You can read about that here.

Our team also tested Starlink’s Flat High Performance antenna with the Mobility package, which allows you to use it on the move. We mounted the antenna first on an SUV and then on our company car using the original “wedge mount” bracket and provided power for use from a battery. The power supply and Starlink router were temporarily mounted in the boot of the car. After activation in the stationary position, we visited several places in and around Pécs, from the narrow streets of the city centre to the serpentines of Mecsek. According to our measurements, the service was fully operational during urban use and on public roads, several times at speeds up to 90 km/h. When passing narrow streets or in a more wooded area, we experienced some packet loss caused by lack of visibility. Even so, we typically measured download speeds of over 220 Mbps and uploads of over 20 Mbps while driving. In terms of average power consumption, the device met the specification of 110-150 W.

Starlink packages are offered as an official distributor partner with Hungarian language customer and technical support, exclusively for corporate customers. If you want to try it out click here!