Users of Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite service, woke up this Monday to an unpleasant surprise: a global outage that disconnected customers around the world for several minutes.
According to reports shared on specialized forums like r/Starlink on Reddit and in local communities such as Bandaancha.eu, the incident began at 6:27 AM (Spanish time) and was resolved around 6:38, although some users reported being offline until 6:51. Overall, the disruption lasted between 11 and 24 minutes, depending on the location.
A brief failure with a global echo
In Spain, several customers confirmed the outage. “I went out to check if my antenna had fallen, but it was still in place. The app showed a lot of errors,” explained a user on Bandaancha.
Other users from Galicia and the northwest of the country reported experiencing the outage in their monitoring systems, though they highlighted that it was the first significant disruption after two months of continuous use.
International communities echoed the same: the failure was real, though brief, and all signs point to it being an unscheduled network update or routing issue.
Service degradation or isolated incidents?
The debate centers on whether these outages indicate a gradual decline in service quality. Some customers claim that the Starlink app now displays more “packet loss” warnings than before, which could give an impression of increased instability. However, most agree that, practically speaking, the connection remains stable with continuously improving speeds.
In fact, several users emphasized that even with lower-cost plans like Residential Lite, speed and availability are comparable to fiber optics. “Two outages in two months equate to a 99.999% uptime, just like fiber,” summarized a customer in a conciliatory tone.
An increasingly widespread service
Starlink, which currently has over 3 million users worldwide, continues to be one of the most reliable options in rural areas or regions with limited access to fiber and 5G networks. Its deployment of more than 6,000 satellites in low Earth orbit has reduced latency to highly competitive levels, averaging 20-40 ms in most European regions.
However, like any global operator, the system is not immune to issues. The difference is that, owing to the project’s scale, each global outage resonates more strongly within the user communities.
Conclusion: a fault that doesn’t tarnish the overall positive outlook
The outage last night reflects an inevitable reality in any technological infrastructure: systems fail, whether due to updates, technical issues, or maintenance work.
The key for Starlink will be to continue strengthening network reliability and to communicate more transparently about the causes of such interruptions. Meanwhile, customer perception appears to remain positive: beyond the outage, most report being satisfied with the speed, stability, and coverage provided by SpaceX’s satellite network.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How long do Starlink outages usually last?
Most disruptions last between 5 and 30 minutes. They are less frequent than in the early years of service and are typically linked to updates or maintenance tasks.
2. Is Starlink as stable as fiber optics?
Under normal conditions, yes. Although it can experience occasional issues, availability generally hovers around 99.9% or higher, comparable to fiber networks.
3. Why do the Starlink app show “high packet loss” messages?
The app now displays more technical details than before, creating the impression of greater instability. However, these warnings do not always translate to perceptible problems for users.
4. What should I do if I experience a service outage?
The best approach is to check the official app, inspect the antenna status, and wait. In most cases, the connection restores itself within a few minutes.
via: bandaancha and Reddit