Satellite internet speed and latency: what to expect from GEO and LEO

By The SpeedFibre team, updated . 3 min read.

Satellite internet speed and latency: what to expect from GEO and LEO
In short Geostationary satellites orbit at about 35,786 km: physics alone adds roughly half a second of round-trip time, so ping is typically 600 ms or more. Low-orbit constellations fly at a few hundred kilometres, bringing ping down to roughly 25 to 60 ms and speeds in the hundreds of Mbps, provided the dish has a clear view of the sky.
Contents
  1. GEO vs LEO in one table
  2. Why geostationary satellites are slow to respond
  3. How low orbit changed the picture
  4. What affects your satellite speed
  5. Testing a satellite connection properly

Satellite internet has two very different generations, and confusing them leads to wrong expectations. The altitude of the satellites explains almost everything.

GEO vs LEO in one table

Geostationary (GEO)Low Earth orbit (LEO)
Altitudeabout 35,786 kma few hundred km
Typical ping600 ms and moreabout 25 to 60 ms
Typical download10 to 100 Mbps50 to 300 Mbps
DishFixed, pointed onceElectronically steered, tracks satellites
Gaming, video callsDifficultUsable

Why geostationary satellites are slow to respond

A geostationary satellite stays above the same point of the equator, at about 35,786 km. Your request travels up to the satellite and down to a ground station, then the answer makes the same trip back: around 143,000 km in total. Even at the speed of light, that takes close to half a second, before any processing or routing. No upgrade can remove that delay, which is why web pages feel sluggish and online games are nearly unplayable on GEO, even with a decent download speed.

How low orbit changed the picture

Low-orbit constellations fly roughly a hundred times closer. The light travel time drops to a few milliseconds, and measured ping falls into the same range as 4G or some cable lines. Operators of these networks publish expected figures in their service documents; the residential documents of the largest one, for example, list latency of 25 to 60 ms. Speed is shared between the users under each satellite, so it varies with the area and the hour.

What affects your satellite speed

  • Obstructions: trees, chimneys and nearby buildings interrupt the link for a few seconds at a time. Low-orbit dishes come with an app that maps obstructions; use it before fixing the dish.
  • Weather: heavy rain or snow on the dish weakens the signal, briefly.
  • Area congestion: in popular regions, many users share each satellite's capacity, especially in the evening.
  • Your home network: the router's Wi-Fi has the same limits as any other. Test over a cable when the router allows it.

Measure your connection now. Start the test

Testing a satellite connection properly

  1. Check the dish app for obstructions first.
  2. Run a ping test and watch the packet-by-packet dots: on low orbit, occasional spikes are normal during satellite handovers.
  3. Run a full speed test at three different times of day.
  4. Look at latency under load: if ping jumps by hundreds of milliseconds during the download phase, see how to lower your ping.
  5. Compare with the alternatives available to you: fibre vs cable vs 5G.

#Ping#SpeedTest#5G

Sources and further reading

Frequently asked questions

Can you game on satellite internet?

On low-orbit services, casual and many competitive games are playable thanks to ping in the tens of milliseconds. On geostationary satellite, the half-second delay makes fast-paced games impractical.

Does rain affect satellite internet?

Heavy rain or snow can weaken the signal for short periods. Light rain usually has little effect.

Why does my satellite ping jump every few seconds?

Low-orbit dishes switch between satellites regularly, and obstructions cause brief drops. Small spikes are normal; frequent long drops point to an obstruction.

The SpeedFibre team Guides written and reviewed by a telecom engineer specialised in fibre optics (FTTH), with more than 8 years of hands-on network maintenance and measurement. Editorial policy.

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