What is Starlink anyway?

Starlink belongs to the US aerospace company SpaceX, founded by entrepreneur and billionaire Elon Musk, and is an operational satellite network that has been providing internet access since 2020, globally since 2023. This makes Starlink the world's first and largest satellite constellation to use low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet.

On average, Starlink achieves around 140 megabits per second in tests – this is significantly more than some DSL or cable connections. However, there is certainly criticism of Starlink: this includes the potential accumulation of space debris, possible collision risks, and the disturbance of the night sky. Recently, a solar storm also caused total outages for Starlink internet.

Faster surfing on the high seas?

Until now, cruise passengers have relied on expensive onboard internet packages or fell into roaming cost traps for internet access that was also very slow. Now, Starlink is supposed to provide fast surfing at sea, but it probably won't be cheap either. However, almost all shipping companies have retrofitted to this technology, particularly the giant Aida Cruises, which boasts about the "best possible available" internet experience at sea. But is this more marketing than feasibility?

If shipping companies allow Starlink to operate at full speed, it could indeed feel like home internet, says cruise industry journalist Franz Neumeier. In theory, this means that Starlink can offer up to 200 Mbps, but this always depends on satellite availability. The shorter distance to Earth and the sheer number of satellites contribute to high connection speeds, lower signal latency, and high coverage for such internet services. The lower latency is particularly noticeable in internet telephony – for example, through messaging apps – as there are hardly any unpleasant delays, allowing for completely normal phone calls.

What are the costs?

Fast internet and streaming usually cost more, which will depend on whether the shipping companies will throttle bandwidth. So, the providers sell packages for surfing, streaming, and social media, etc., and these naturally have different prices, ranging from 14 euros to 34 euros per day.

For illustration, the example Aida, which currently offers four packages: from the "Onboard Chat" for 1 euro per day, which allows communication with other people on board via the Aida app, to the "Premium Internet Flat" for 15 euros daily, which provides prioritized access to full bandwidth and the use of VPN clients. However, there are discounts on the rates for advance bookings. And speaking of costs: the warning about mobile roaming still applies, which remains a cost trap. These costs can arise if roaming is activated on the phone and the smartphone connects to the ship's network.

For example, if someone sends nice photos via Messenger or makes phone calls, the relaxation at home when looking at the mobile phone bill is suddenly over: In extreme cases, charges can add up to several thousand euros. To prevent such situations, one should turn on airplane mode on the phone as soon as the ship departs from the port; this will disable mobile data usage, but Wi-Fi can still be reactivated separately.

Satellites as the future of surfing?

The Starlink satellites are in a comparatively low orbit, about 550 kilometers above the Earth, while the satellites from other providers used for maritime internet are hovering in a geostationary orbit at more than 30,000 kilometers high. With its commercial offering for broadband internet from satellites in low Earth orbit, Elon Musk's Starlink service from SpaceX currently has little competition. However, companies like Amazon (Project Kuiper), Boeing, OneWeb, SES Astra, and Telesat are now building their own infrastructures with hundreds or even thousands of satellites in low orbits.

In the future, there will probably be hardly any ships without Starlink and similar services: it is significantly cheaper and easier for them to operate this way. Moreover, fast internet access has now become a given and is thus a deciding factor for bookings, for example, for a family vacation with teenage children. "Everyone is used to being almost permanently online on land - most don't want to give that up at sea either," says cruise industry journalist Neumeier. Thus, the increasing use of Starlink and similar services at sea could also accelerate the trend towards more affordable, faster internet on board. Alternatively, one could completely go against the trend and enjoy their journey without the distractions of the internet – offline...