Starlink Mini

I've had a chance to test Starlink (the "mini" variant) over the last week during the trip to Cabo Verde - a remote archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. This was originally planned as a remote work week (no, AI does not make us less busy). And for that, Internet connectivity is fundamental.

Before the trip we checked various internet forums for the quality of WiFi (and cellular) services there, and the opinions were very mixed. The first location we stayed at (close to Porto Novo) actually had upgraded to their own Starlink, and in our hut there was even the Starlink Mini Router Node installed. In the other location (the Paul valley) there was LTE coverage (not very fast), and the house had WiFi at around 4Mb down / 0.5Mb up - fine for basic browsing but not for video conferencing.

I ordered the Starlink Mini dish via the Starlink.com site before the trip. It comes with a 30-day return policy. Probably I will keep it though, as generally it worked and it may just serve as a free rental unit within the extended "family". The recurring service can be suspended / canceled at any time so no ongoing costs.

The "Mini" weighs about 1kg and is the size of an A4 book. Fits nicely in my backpack together with the laptop, and does not add much bulk nor weight. It comes with own power supply (no USB-C!) and a 15m cable. The cable is heavy. With my relentless pursuit of USB-C charging options, I have also bought a dedicated 10m USB-C cable on Amazon. The cable is lighter that the original (I decided 10m should be enough and it was). It also has a nice multi-color LED on the USB-C plug - the LED indicates if the power supply supports the required voltage / current. I found it worked well with USB-C power bricks rated at 100W (none of the 65W ones was enough - the LED was red while it should be blue).

USB-C standardization still helps a lot, as it allows to easily power the dish from a car cigarette lighter socket (assuming you have a high power car adapter) and also for remote (=far away from electronics supplies) - remote work trips I also take a second backup power brick (they tend to fail unexpectedly). So two 100W power supplies - one for the Starlink and one for the laptop and in case one fails, I can still continue working, falling back to non-satellite internet.

Having said that, the Starlink Mini is fussy about the power source (perhaps this is why they decided to go with their own non-USB adapter): one of my USB-C bricks powered the Starlink just fine, but the WiFi function was very erratic, fading frequently. Switching to the other USB-C brick (both were 100W) solved the problem. So test before you go!

The other (obvious) issue with Starlink is that it needs a clear view of the sky. Will not work at a window or under trees. Sometimes it is easy to find a place like that and sometimes not. Your mileage will vary. As I write this, the dish sits on a narrow pavement on the street - that was the only option at this place, as it must be facing north at this location. And the AirBnB host recommended bringing it indoors for the night.

Finally, the WiFi range may not be sufficient. My working desk was on the other side of the building and WiFi was barely one bar. Perhaps adding an extra Starlink Mini Router Node (a mesh WiFi node) could help. It is only 200 grams and the size of a cigarette pack, but again requires a dedicated 9V/3.5-1.35mm barrel jack. Yes you can find a USB-C cable for that on Amazon too, but the original kit forces you to use the bundled power brick (and they come only with a single wall plug type, so not really something for global roamers).

Starlink is supposedly coming with an upgraded Mini - it is said to have a power bank included and fully standardize on USB-C as the power source. But the power bank option does not sound appealing - it will probably last for 2-3 hours (maybe a bit more at a reduced duty cycle), and will not be universal - you will not be able to charge a phone from the dish.

Overall - it works, power options may need some considerations, but with the current flexible recurring fees and fairly low hardware cost (under $200), some remote travelers may find it appealing. The connection is around 200Mbps down and 50Mbps up with 30-70ms latency. There are occasional dropouts - the signal disappears for about a minute once in a while (this may or even is related to the placement of the antenna and the obstructions around it as well as weather - clouds can cause problems). But for remote work I find it more than sufficient, often much better than local WiFi (if it is available at all).