Image: NBN Co. Elon Musk’s Starlink delivers significantly faster speeds and lower latency than NBN Sky Muster in the Australian consumer watchdog’s first study of satellite internet performance. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has expanded its Measuring Broadband Australia quarterly report to include NBN Sky Muster and SpaceX Starlink satellite services for the first time. As expected, the Starlink constellation puts NBN’s Sky Muster twin satellites to shame. Starlink delivered 192 Mbps average download speeds to Australians, with 29.8 milliseconds average latency. Starlink doesn’t offer customers specific data caps or speed tiers, instead providing a best-effort service of 25 to 100 Mbps (or 40 to 220 Mbps for the more expensive “Priority” service). Meanwhile, NBN’s satellite service could only muster an average of 28.6 Mbps and 664.9 milliseconds. Sky Muster offers 25, 50 and 100 Mbps speed tiers with various data caps, although customers only get an average of 83.2 per cent of their maximum plan speed, according to the report. Starlink’s considerably lower latency is indicative of a more reliable experience than Sky Muster when using real-time applications such as video conferencing and online gaming, according to the report. “We have expanded the Measuring Broadband Australia program to include performance data for satellite services to help these consumers make informed decisions about which service may offer the best value for them,” said ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey. “When deciding which plan or provider is best for you, we encourage consumers to consider both the performance data as well as the price of the service and their household’s broadband usage needs.” Starlink versus NBN Sky Muster satellites The contrasting results are to be expected considering the very different nature of the two satellite internet platforms. NBN’s two Sky Muster satellites sit high above Australia in geostationary orbit, at an altitude of around 35,000km. They cater to those Australians beyond the reach of NBN’s fixed-line and fixed-wireless networks. Meanwhile, Starlink consists of more than 6,700 small satellites in low earth orbit of around 600km, offering coverage around the world. This low orbit significantly reduces the round trip for data travelling to Starlink satellites and back. Starlink versus NBN Sky Muster performance A breakdown of the ACCC’s Measuring Broadband Australia results reveals that Starlink satellite internet outperforms Sky Muster in every way. NBN Sky Muster’s maximum recorded speed was 111 Mbps for downloads and 22 Mbps for uploads, while Starlink recorded 470 and 74 Mbps respectively. During the busy hours of 7 PM to 11 PM on weeknights, Starlink still delivered 165.5 Mbps downloads, providing around 85 per cent of its average download speeds. Meanwhile, NBN Sky Muster provided around 80 per cent of its average download speeds during the evening peak. To be fair, Starlink is considerably more expensive than NBN’s Sky Muster satellite service. Starlink’s self-installation kit costs $549, but is reduced to $349 until January 30, 2025. On top of this, Starlink plans start at $139 per month for unlimited data. Meanwhile, Sky Muster plans, available via a number of Australian ISPs, range from $40 to $100 per month with free satellite equipment and installation.