How Starlink is a reliable internet service for rural America

Like many rural Americans, the Leffler family dealt with a broadband connection fraught with problems. For years, they relied on DSL to help them run their Americus, Kansas, row crop and cattle operation.

Short for digital subscriber line, DSL was introduced in the late 1980s and uses existing phone lines, making it widely available and affordable. However, the outdated service is much slower than current internet technologies, with some plans not even meeting the 25 Mbps or faster download speed requirements for high-speed internet set by the FCC.

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"I could literally pinpoint when the people of Americus would get off work and get on the internet, because the speed would drop dramatically, or I would get kicked off altogether. Of course, it always seemed to happen when I was in the middle of working on something business-related," says Jacquelyne Leffler. "It was a nightmare of constantly waiting to get service back just to lose it again."

Connectivity Is Fundamental

The fourth generation to work the family operation, Leffler and her dad, Bill, raise corn, soybeans, wheat, and cattle. She also operates Leffler Prime Performance, which provides custom beef that is sold directly to consumers, with many connections made through her Facebook page (Leffler Prime Performance).

"Having a social media presence and being engaged with followers is especially important for farms that are direct marketing because consumers want local food and to support local businesses," says Sarah Cornelisse, senior Extension associate, Penn State University. "Social media is today's version of word of mouth."

Today, internet connectivity is fundamental, becoming as important as electricity. Yet, about 19 million Americans lack access to fixed broadband service at threshold speeds, according to the FCC's "Eighth Broadband Progress Report." In rural areas, nearly 14.5 million people lack access to this service, the report says.

"It's our lifeline," Leffler says. "Ninety percent of our internet use is related to the farm. Whether we're in the office or in the tractor cab, it's literally how we run our business. If we don't have reliable internet, how can we successfully run our business?"

Extending Starlink Network
Using a Starlink ethernet adapter plugged into an Eero mesh extender, Leffler Farms was able to stretch the Starlink internet connection from the shop to a family member's house that sits next to the shop.

Signing up for Starlink

Enter Starlink. A SpaceX initiative, Starlink uses a constellation of low-Earth-orbit satellites to deliver high-speed, low-latency broadband internet to remote and rural locations globally. Today, there are more than 2,000 functioning Starlink satellites in orbit. SpaceX says it wants to deploy at least 12,000 satellites, with plans for up to 30,000 to ensure global internet coverage. Users should expect download speeds of 50 to 200 Mbps and upload speeds of 10 to 20 Mbps, according to the company.

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It was a service Leffler began reading about on social media about a year ago. As word spread, she began hearing about Starlink more frequently.

"Some friends had purchased Starlink, so I was able to ask them several questions," she says. "One of my concerns was how long it would take to get Starlink, because I had heard there was a huge waiting list. My future in-laws live right outside of Lawrence, Kansas, which is a very populated area. They have been on the waiting list for almost a year. When I submitted my request online for a Starlink kit, they were still on the waiting list. I received my kit in about two weeks. I honestly believe it's because we are so rural."

The residential plan, which is what the Lefflers purchased, costs $110 per month plus a one-time charge of $599 for the equipment. The kit includes the Starlink satellite dish, a Wi-Fi router, cables, and a base. The Starlink app uses augmented reality to help customers choose the best location and position for the receiver. Leffler says setup was fast and simple.

While the cost is about $20 more than what Leffler was paying for DSL, she says she would rather pay more for something that is going to work and work well. With more than 500,000 active subscribers to date, and reportedly several thousand more on the waiting list, it seems others agree. To see how long the wait would be for you to receive a kit, visit starlink.com and type in your address.

"Before Starlink, it was faster for me to download our farm data to a flash drive and mailit, because by the time it would get to 70% [uploaded], I'd lose the connection, or it would time out. I also used to be on the phone every other month for about three hours with customer service, waiting to tell someone that my internet service didn't work ... again," Leffler says. "Starlink has been incredible in helping us stay connected to the world — even if we are rural."

The Cost of Connectivity

Jacquelyne Leffler, who lives in Americus, Kansas, is five miles from fiber to the west, and three miles from fiber to the east. "Yet we were told it would never come to us," she says. "When fiber is that close, it's difficult to understand why they can't extend it another three miles. Sometimes it feels like because we live in rural America, they don't think we need it as badly as the cities do."