Welcome to our OneWeb vs. Starlink guide. If you live in a marginal area without internet infrastructure, consider subscribing to satellite internet.
But subscribers are left in limbo, especially when met by two satellite internet companies offering similar services.
Our OneWeb vs Starlink guide demystifies differences to help you pick the ideal ISP per your needs.
Let’s explore what each satellite internet firm offers in detail below.
OneWeb vs. Starlink: Definition
What is Starlink
Silhouette view of a fleet of Internet Starlink satellites in orbit.
It’s the most popular satellite internet company, primarily due to its worldwide reach. It is a feat very few other firms can boast about.
The firm is owned by technology entrepreneur Elon Musk, renowned for his innovative ideas and exploration.
Starlink’s mother company is SpaceX, a space exploration firm interested in landing humans on Mars in the future.
Other companies owned by the SpaceX CEO include Tesla– a car manufacturing firm, and X– a social media company.
Starlink’s main differentiating factor from other satellite internet providers is using satellites in the low earth orbit (LEO).
Therefore, it offers greater speeds and relatively low latency (despite being a satellite internet provider) than others.
What is OneWeb?
A farmer browses on Satellite internet in a Rural Area.
Like Starlink, OneWeb is a satellite internet provider. It is headquartered in London, UK, and is backed by the British government and other reputable firms.
It is key in making it a significant player in satellite internet services.
One thing that separates the company from Starlink is its target clients.
While Starlink targets households and small businesses, OneWeb primarily focuses on government bodies and corporates.
Recently, the company launched satellites in the low earth orbit, which could see the company reach more users like Starlink.
OneWeb could be a massive competitor to Starlink soon, given its high number of satellites in space.
It ranks only second to Starlink with 634 satellites (at the time of this guide’s writing) in its constellation.
It is continually launching more, which could make the company a big player in the global internet services scene.
OneWeb vs Starlink: Compare
Let us explore how OneWeb compares to Starlink:
Using Satellite Internet.
Technology
There’s virtually no significant difference in technology between the two firms, as both are satellite ISPs.
Both also operate in the low earth orbit and, therefore, guarantee great speeds and low latencies.
But there’s a slight difference between their speeds, and this is because of the exact location of the respective company’s satellites.
Hardware
A Starlink Dish.
Starlink is renowned for its high-performance antenna and its high speeds, and it’s reserved for Starlink Business customers.
It also offers a flat, high-performance dish, ideal for great connections, especially for those on Starlink RV.
Conversely, OneWeb has a Compact-Electronically Steered Antenna. It is also great in signal reception despite its relatively smaller size than Starlink’s.
Dubbed the OW1, it is nonetheless slightly heavier than Starlink’s Dishy.
Availability
Starlink Satellite Dish.
Before April 2023, OneWeb primarily focused on providing internet services to corporations and government bodies.
But it has since changed its target customers and has a presence in several UK rural homes.
The change in tune was precipitated by the UK government’s drive to provide internet to underserved rural areas in the country.
In addition to the UK, OneWeb is available in Greenland, Alaska, and Canada. Also, You can access OneWeb from most of the Artics countries.
On the other hand, Starlink has always targeted home and business institutions.
The company has a relatively wider reach than OneWeb, covering almost every part of North America.
It is also in Europe, Australia, Japan, and, most recently, African nations like Kenya and Nigeria.
Speed and Latency
Using Fast Internet.
OneWeb reported top speeds of 400 Mbps in 2019, which is pretty high, although this differs from the constant speed customers should always expect.
Nonetheless, there is little traffic congestion as OneWeb serves corporate customers.
Hence, there’s a guarantee the speeds may not drop lower than this by a significant margin.
Their reported latency was 32ms in 2019, which is also decent for satellite internet.
Conversely, Starlink gives speeds of 220 Mbps. But again, this is only sometimes the case as the service wanes, especially when many subscribers use the internet simultaneously.
All in all, Starlink Business clients can expect such exceptional speeds and a low latency (15 ms).
Pros and Cons
Internet Speed Test.
| One Web Internet Pros | OneWeb Internet Cons |
| It is reliable thanks to its high-altitude satellites but still within the LEO. | It risks being usurped by faster internet options in the future, like fiber. |
| Also, it is available internationally in the UK, Arctic, Canada, and Greenland. | The internet speed and latency are way poorer than alternatives like 5G and fiber. |
| Setting up OneWeb Satellites is pretty cheap. | It has a relatively low number of satellites, thus limited in coverage. |
| Starlink Internet Pros | Starlin Internet Cons |
| It’s a relatively low-cost intent available in almost every corner of the world. | Maintaining Starlink internet satellites and hardware is cumbersome and costly. |
| Starlink is faster, especially than other broadband options available in rural areas | It has a relatively poor customer service |
| It has somewhat minimized space debris | Internet latency is higher than 5G and Fiber. |
Plans and Price
Starlink is pretty pricey to install, costing $599 for residential customers. However, once you acquire the kit, you will only need to pay a monthly charge of $110.
It has no data caps, and you’re guaranteed top speeds of between 10 and 200 Mbps, depending on the traffic.
OneWeb is cheaper than Starlink, with a $12.95 monthly charge. You can access up to 150 Mbps download speeds with OneWeb if your area has excellent coverage.
Installation Processes & Customer Service
A Farmer Uses Internet in a Rural Area.
Starlink has a self-installation service, meaning you do everything once you receive the kit. Their customer service is regarded as poor by most customers primarily because there’s no live chat option.
Also, it isn’t very easy to reach out to the customer care agents, although there’s still a way to do so from the app.
OneWeb installation is pretty easy as per the following steps:
- The customer purchases the OneWeb satellite modem
- Next, they download the app and use it to configure the modem.
- Finally, link the modem to the router, and the internet is ready for use after paying the monthly fee.
Which One Should You Choose for Your Needs?
You can opt for Starlink if it is available in your location and no other dependable ISP is within reach.
But you may not have this privilege with OneWeb as it still lacks a worldwide presence, unlike Starlink.
But for institutions in countries where OneWeb has coverage, it’s arguably the best choice over Starlink.
Conclusion
Satellite Internet came to the rescue of many rural dwellers who had no dependable internet option.
We have covered two popular satellite internet providers and highlighted their respective features and cons.
We leave it to you to choose which best suits your needs. But either of the options is highly dependable.