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Starlink is the satellite internet service provided by SpaceX, and its success is pushing longtime satellite internet service providers out of business. HughesNet, the satellite ISP that first launched in 1996 under the name DirecPC, recently filed for bankruptcy after losing over half of its subscribers since Starlink became publicly available in 2020. Viasat is another casualty; the company built its first satellite in 2008, but has lost more than 80% of its subscribers in the Starlink era.

Users say Starlink is reliable — or at least as reliable as satellite internet can be. The reality is that Starlink still suffers from many of the inevitable disadvantages of satellite internet . However, reviewers have noted that Starlink provides higher speeds, lower latency, and fewer data limitations compared to the likes of HughesNet.…