Starlink internet service has quickly garnered the attention of the general public, especially in rural areas which lack access to traditional broadband internet or in some cases internet at all. The idea of being able to get fast and stable internet virtually anywhere with a clear view of the sky is intriguing.
Whether you are a digital nomad frustrated with data caps on cellular plans, homesteaders that live off the grid, or simply looking for an alternative to your local internet service provider, the concept of broadband from space is really intriguing. However, Starlink is not available everywhere, at least yet. Is Starlink available in Colorado?
Starlink is available in the state of Colorado. However there are a few caveats you need to be aware of that may impact your ability to get Starlink internet service at your address. There are also a few reasons that you may wish to consider other options including the new Starlink price hike to $110 per month + a $599 on time change for the equipment. Starlink is not necessarily a the best deal.
Starlink Colorado Coverage
Starlink has geographic coverage throughout the state of Colorado. However, with Starlink coverage does not automatically mean availability. The technology used by Starlink limits the number of users that can be in a given area at any one time.
Starlink refers to these areas a cells. Once Starlink sells all of the capacity within a cell they do not allow any more customers to sign up if their service address is within that cell. Of course as Starlink launches more satellites and increases their capacity the number of users per cell that they will allow will likely increase.
This means that Starlink is more likely to be available to you if you are living in a more rural part of Colorado vs if you are living in Denver, Boulder or any other major city. This is actually a good thing. Most people living in a city such as Denver or Boulder already have access to broadband internet with speeds several times faster than those offered by Starlink.
If you live in a more rural part of Colorado there is a much higher chance that Starlink will be available to you at your service address. It is all more likely that you would actually benefit from Starlink Internet.
If You Do Not Have Access to Cable / Fiber Internet
If you live in an area of Colorado lacking access to traditional home broadband services offered by a cable or telco provider, Starlink is a great potential option as is 5G home internet from Verizon or T-Mobile. In generally Starlink is better than 5G home internet, but 5G home internet is much cheaper, even half the cost in some cases. 5G home internet also requires no up front equipment purchase.
Currently Starlink Internet Service costs $110 per month. Starlink also requires you to pay $599 up front for the Starlink dish and other required equipment. The upfront cost is similar to the $450 charged by HughesNet a legacy satellite internet service provider but high when compared to traditional broadband services that often have no up front equipment charge.
$110 per month is on the pricy side compared to most cable / DSL / fiber internet options. However when compared to other satellite internet services the price is actually relatively attractive, especially given that there is no data cap with Starlink.
When compared to 5G home internet services from T-Mobile or Verizon, Starlink is substantially more expensive at $110 per month. Generally 5G home internet plans are coming in at $50 = $60 per month and some plans even include the taxes / fee in that monthly price. 5G home internet plans also require no up front cost to purchase equipment.
This makes 5G home internet a potentially good option for some people who’s internet needs are relatively modest. At this time most 5G home internet plans include unlimited data like Starlink. However, many 5G home internet plans include data deprioritization. This can result in significantly slower speeds when the local cell phone tower is crowded with network traffic. Starlink does not appear to have any form of data deprioritization at this time.
View Map Of Starlink Availability
Starlink is better than 5G home internet in most cases. You will generally get a more stable connection with faster download and upload speeds. If you need a fast, stable internet connection, and live in a rural part of Colorado that has limited other options,
Starlink is likely for you. Make sure you have somewhere you can put your Starlink dish that will have an unobstructed view of the sky. Any obstructions such as tree branches can greatly impact both your performance and your reliability.
Starlink, especially right now with the limited number of satellites currently in the Starlink constellation, is very sensitive to even small obstructions blocking your dish. Starlink has a mobile app to help you determine if this will be an issue for you.
Click to Download the Starlink Mobile App for Android
Click to Download the Starlink Mobile App for iOS (iPhone)
If based on the Starlink App, it looks like it will have a proper view of the sky, you are ready to sign up for service. If the App says that your view of the Sky is obstructed you will either need to find a way to remove the obstructions, or find a different location to put your Starlink dish.
At this time Starlink has a waitlist of over a year to get signed up for service. This is largely due to manufacturing shortages of the Starlink user terminals. If you want to get signed up for Starlink, now is the time. Get you name on the waitlist today.
Sign Up For Starlink and Check Availability at Your Service Address
If You Have Access to Cable / Fiber Internet
If you have access to traditional cable or fiber based internet at your service address, stay put, at least for now. As exciting as it is to have Starlink now available in Colorado, traditional cable or fiber based broadband still has the upper hand on many key metrics.
With cable or fiber based internet you will generally get a highly reliable internet connection with consistent download and upload speeds. This makes it a great choice if you rely on your internet connection for critical tasks.
This could include working from home, running a small business, or using VoIP services. latency with most cable or fiber based internet connections is usually in the 5 ms – 30 ms range, and jitter is usually less than 2 ms.
This means that real time communication platforms such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams will perform optimally. Corporate VPN connections will also be highly stable and free from drops. Gaming will also benefit greatly form the lower latencies offered by a traditional broadband connection.
The quality of service you will get from Starlink largely depends on how many Starlink users are active within your coverage cell and the number of obstructions blocking your dishes view of the sky. With cable / fiber based options you can be pretty certain that if service is available you will be getting full performance. This is the nature of the technology. Wired communications tend to be more reliable and less susceptible to outside interference.
Starlink Colorado Speeds
With traditional cable / fiber internet you can get internet service of 1 Gbps or higher in most areas. A 1 gigabit internet connection will net about 950 Mbps of download speed due to packet overhead.
This is ideal if you do a lot of downloading of large files or have multiple users sharing the internet connection. Starlink on the other hand is maxing out at about 150 Mbps on a good day, with speeds of 50 – 100 Mbps being more common.
Conclusion
Starlink has geographic coverages across the state of Colorado. Availability at any given service address is dependent on Starlink cell capacity. At this time must rural areas of Colorado have availability and most urban areas do not.
This is actually not a bad thing. The idea of Starlink is to provide high speed internet to underserved areas. Competing with Comcast, Spectrum, Verizon, and AT&T was never part of the Starlink plan. If you have access to high speed cable or fiber based internet, Starlink is not for you. It was never intended for you.
FAQ
When can I get Starlink internet in Colorado
You can signup for Starlink internet in Colorado right now. They have coverage across the entire state of Colorado. Availability is however limited based on cell capacity. Sign up now and join the waitlist for Starlink service. Currently there is a waitlist of over a year to get your Starlink dish shipped to you.
How long is Starlink waiting list?
Currently the Starlink waiting list is over a year in length. Orders are expected to be fulfilled in 2023 or beyond. This is largely due to a manufacturing shortage of the Starlink user terminals. Supply chain shortages, largely a result of the pandemic, have taken a toll on the ability to quickly manufacture the Starlink dishes.
Is Starlink available in Boulder Colorado
Starlink internet is available in Boulder, Colorado right now. They have coverage across all of Boulder. Availability is however limited based on cell capacity. Sign up now and join the waitlist for Starlink service. Currently there is a waitlist of over a year to get your Starlink dish shipped to you.
Is Starlink available in Denver
Yes, Starlink is available in Denver, Colorado. They have coverage across all of Denver. Availability is however limited based on cell capacity. Some areas many not have the capacity to add new users. Sign up now and join the waitlist for Starlink service. Currently there is a waitlist of over a year to get your Starlink dish shipped to you.
How Fast is Starlink in Colorado
Starlink speeds in Colorado are generally about 150 Mbps. Speeds of up to 200 Mbps are seen on occasion but tend to occur during off peak hours such as overnight. Slower speeds of 100 Mbps are common during the peak hours of about 5 PM to 11 PM.