An honest assessment after 3 years: Is Starlink worth it?

We’ve been using Starlink for three years now, initially as a backup solution and now as our main internet connection. Our original mobile data plan was completely replaced, which led to a significant improvement in both upload and download bandwidth. The difference in latency is particularly striking: whereas cloud-first applications used to run sluggishly over mobile data, everything is now smooth and reliable. Especially for locations without DSL access, I can still wholeheartedly recommend Starlink. And in our case, the Vodafone cell tower was within line of sight (external antenna, clear view, 250m away)—essentially optimal conditions!

For remote locations, Starlink is a real game-changer. Even in Germany, city dwellers in multi-tenant buildings sometimes still have to make do with 16 Mbps DSL connections, while satellite internet provides a powerful alternative—regardless of existing infrastructure.

One especially positive aspect is the multiple price reductions: while we initially paid €99 per month, it’s now down to €50. That’s remarkable, because most internet providers tend to increase prices on existing contracts rather than lower them. Additionally, there’s no fixed contract term, so we can cancel at any time—a rare freedom in the telecommunications market. By comparison, we used to pay Vodafone €69 per month for unlimited data and an unreliable connection.

In terms of reliability, Starlink has also won us over. We haven’t experienced any significant outages in the last three years. Compared directly to our previous mobile data solution, Starlink is noticeably more stable. Even under heavy usage or in unfavorable weather conditions, the connection remained consistently available.

Officially, Starlink doesn’t appear to have a data cap. However, there were reports of priority throttling under high usage. In our case—with several terabytes of uploads over the past year—we haven’t noticed any limitations.

What’s especially impressive is the low latency, which averages around 30 ms. Our previous 4G mobile connection had latencies between 80 and 100 ms, and Starlink’s significantly better figures make lag-free video conferencing possible now.

Because Starlink does not support traditional port forwarding, we set up an alternative solution via a cloud proxy server. Among other things, this includes a reverse proxy and an OpenVPN service. We’ve already published a detailed guide on how to set up such a solution in conjunction with Vodafone Dual Stack.

After three years of use, we can draw a clear conclusion: Starlink is the cheapest and most reliable solution on the market for us. While major telecommunications companies like Telekom or Vodafone haven’t managed to provide stable internet access everywhere in the last 30 years, Starlink does exactly that—regardless of location.

Our experience at a glance:

✅ Fast and stable connection – Significantly better bandwidth and latency than mobile data
✅ Reliability – No significant outages in three years
✅ Flexible and fair pricing – Cancel on a monthly basis, and the price has been reduced multiple times
✅ Unlimited data volume – No restrictions noticed even with heavy usage
✅ Easy setup – Plug & Play, without complicated installations or technician appointments

For everyone who doesn’t have an alternative like fiber or VDSL, I can wholeheartedly recommend Starlink. It’s crucial that the dish has a clear view of the sky—otherwise, reception issues can arise. In our case, we mounted it on the carport roof, where it works perfectly. Anyone struggling with slow DSL or unreliable mobile connections should definitely take a closer look at Starlink! 🚀