Network Characteristics of LEO Satellite Constellations: A Starlink-Based Measurement from End Users

Abstract

Low Earth orbit Satellite Networks (LSNs) have been advocated as a key infrastructure for truly global coverage in the forthcoming 6G. This paper presents our initial measurement results and observations on the end-to-end network characteristics of Starlink, arguably the largest LSN constellation to date. Our findings confirm that LSNs are a promising solution towards ubiquitous Internet coverage over the Earth; yet, we also find that the users of Starlink experience much more dynamics in throughput and latency than terrestrial network users, and even frequent outages. Its user experiences are heavily affected by environmental factors such as terrain, solar storms, rain, clouds, and temperature, so is the power consumption. We further analyze Starlink's current bent-pipe relay strategy and its limits, particularly for cross-ocean routes. We have also explored its mobility and portability potentials, and extended our experiments from urban cities to wild remote areas that are facing distinct practical and cultural challenges.