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 interesting. However, Starlink is not a good choice everywhere, at least for now. Is Starlink available in Wisconsin?
Yes, Starlink is available in the state of Wisconsin. However there are a few caveats you need to be aware of that may impact your ability to get Starlink internet service at your service 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 Wisconsin Coverage
Starlink has geographic coverage throughout the state of Wisconsin. 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. Wisconsin currently has open capacity only in a few rural sections of the state.
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 much more likely to be available to you if you are living in a more rural part of Wisconsin vs if you are living in Green Bay, Milwaukee, Madison, or any other major Wisconsin city. This is actually not a bad thing. Most people living in the city already have access to broadband internet with speeds several times faster than those offered by Starlink.
If you live in a very rural part of Wisconsin there is a higher chance that Starlink will be available to you at your home service address. It is all far more likely that you would actually benefit from Starlink Internet.
View Map Of Starlink Availability
If You Do Not Have Access to Cable / Fiber Internet
If you live in an area of Wisconsin 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 much 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. For some people Starlink is going to be prohibitively expensive. However, for most people the price of Starlink is well worth it to get fast reliable internet.
Currently, Starlink Internet costs $110 per month for the service. Starlink also requires you to pay a deposit of $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 such as Viasat, the price is actually really attractive, especially given that there is no data cap with Starlink. This is revolutionary in the world of satellite internet.
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, most 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. in some cases you internet connection can become almost unusable during peak hours.
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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin, 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 Speeds Wisconsin
Finally, 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.
Check Out Starlink vs Spectrum and Starlink vs Xfinity to learn more.
Conclusion
Starlink has geographic coverages across the state of Wisconsin. Availability at any given service address is dependent on Starlink cell capacity. Currently, much of Wisconsin is waitlisted for capacity reasons. There are a few portions of Wisconsin that currently have Starlink capacity available, however most areas do not.
It is good that Starlink is not overselling a service they can’t deliver on. 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.
If you live in one of the major Wisconsin cities such as Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Kenosha, Racine, Appleton, Waukesha, Eau Claire, Oshkosh, or Janesvill, Starlink is not intended for you at this time. If you live in a rural part of Wisconsin that has limited or no access to other broadband options, join the Starlink waitlist today!
FAQ
When can I get Starlink internet in Wisconsin
You can signup for Starlink internet in Wisconsin right now. They have coverage across the entire state of Wisconsin. 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 for most service addresses in Wisconsin.
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 Green Bay
Starlink internet is available in Green Bay Wisconsin right now. They have coverage across all of the Green Bay region. 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 Milwaukee
Yes, Starlink is available in Milwaukee Wisconsin. They have coverage across all of Milwaukee. Availability is however limited based on cell capacity. The Milwaukee region is currently waitlisted for additional 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 Madison
Yes, Starlink is available in Madison Wisconsin. They have coverage across all of Madison. Availability is however limited based on cell capacity. The Madison region is currently waitlisted for additional 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 in Madison.
How Fast is Starlink in Wisconsin
Starlink internet speeds in Wisconsin tend to be about 100 Mbps most of the time. Sometimes during off peak hours speeds will spike up a bit higher. On the average Starlink in Wisconsin is fast enough for 4K / HD video streaming and other bandwidth intensive activities.
Does Starlink Have Coverage in Wisconsin
Starlink has coverage across all of Wisconsin. Availability is however limited based on cell capacity. The Madison region of Wisconsin is currently waitlisted for additional capacity. Other rural areas of Wisconsin do not have any wait time.