My OFS team is all over the Philippines. Even though their internet has improved a lot since when I started outsourcing, there are still places where the connection is still inconsistent.
So Charlyne and her husband (both in our social media team), finally got Starlink for their place.
It wasn’t an easy choice for them because it’s not cheap. I didn’t even know they were getting Starlink. They got it for themselves for work and for their children who need it for school.
Once I found out, I asked what Starlink is like in their place. This can be a good option if you want to help get your OFS a backup connection.
Here’s Charlyne’s review:
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For the longest time, we were with PLDT, and we loved it!
Most of the time, it was okay, but whenever people were home—usually in the evenings and on weekends—our connection would crawl. I’m guessing the lines get congested with everyone online, streaming, or gaming.
As time passed, our internet connection slowed down, and sometimes it went out and wouldn’t come back for days.
But as someone who works from home, slow internet isn’t just annoying—it can be a big problem. It made us less efficient and delayed our tasks. Something had to change.
After months of debating whether we really needed it, we decided to give Starlink a try.
It’s not a cheap switch, and we weren’t sure the upgrade would be worth it. But we figured, with all the internet issues we were facing, it was time to take the plunge.
We got the Residential plan, which we ordered through their website: https://www.starlink.com/
And wow—what a difference! With Starlink, our connection is fast and reliable. Pages load in a flash, video calls are crystal clear, and I can finally focus on my work without stressing over lag or dropouts.
What’s great about Starlink is we didn’t have to go to an office to apply for a connection and wait days for them to check if they have service in your area, only to find out that your house is out of their serviceable area. We just went to their website and ordered the hardware.
As of writing, the Starlink hardware costs P28,000. They had a 50% off promo last September, which we did not let pass. The monthly subscription for the Residential plan is P2,700, while the Roam plan is P4,100.
Here’s a quick view of what’s included in each plan:
The plan starts upon activation of your hardware, so we were only charged for the plan when our hardware is connected to the internet.
We were charged for the hardware plus the shipping fee, which, in our case, is P1,300.
Unlike the internet providers we’ve been accustomed to that have a two-year lock-in period, Starlink has no contracts.
The website told us that we’d receive our hardware in two weeks. We got ours in less, but it would have been faster if the delivery guys called us immediately.
We received a huge, dark gray box with a promise of a better and faster internet connection ahead.
Here’s the promise box that came:
And here’s what’s inside:
*photo from the internet because we were too excited to take proper photos. haha
1 – Gen 3 Router
2 – Starlink Cable
3 – AC Cable
4 – Starlink
5 – Stand
And here’s a very grainy gif of my very mindful husband opening our Statrlink kit:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/7Mw4xxXXktbMojxx9
Once we received it, my husband and I set up the hardware and got connected to the internet. No need to wait for technicians to set up the connection for you. We just plugged in the hardware and pointed it at the sky!
So Starlink needs an unobstructed sky view, so the roof is our best bet. My husband just screwed in the four legs of the stand on top of our roof, and once it was happy with its signal, we got an internet connection right away! Yay! We also used the Starlink app to determine the best install location.
Starlink delivered. It did not disappoint.
To be fair, our PLDT experience has been good for the most part. When it’s online, it is super fast where we are, but it is unreliable.
We’ve been using Starlink for over a month and have no complaints. Downloads and uploads to YouTube are quick, and we can call each other through Messenger to say that the food is ready (LOL).
My daughters have no problems with their Zoom and Google Classroom classes. Knowing them, I know that Spotify is playing their background music. While they’re having their classes, my husband and I work online and watch Netflix simultaneously to keep us awake.
Yes, we are heavy internet users.
And no matter what time of day, the internet speed remains the same.
We don’t have to worry about congestion anymore since only our household uses the connection; we don’t share it with the entire neighborhood.
There is one—only one—downside. We’ve noticed that Starlink can get spotty when it rains really hard.
It doesn’t happen often, but the signal can cut out if there’s a heavy downpour. But as soon as the rain eases up, the internet returns.
Honestly, I can live with that. After the constant frustration of unreliable service, a little rain-induced downtime is a small price to pay for the overall speed and stability Starlink offers.
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I’m glad that Starlink works in their town (Koronadal) because I wasn’t sure how well it works in the Philippines. My OFS team told me that many people are using Starlink nationwide, and it has proven to be a great alternative to a fiber connection.
I personally have 2 Starlinks: 1 for a remote cabin and one for when we’re at Lake Powell. Both work amazingly well.
Interested in Starlink? Or, do your OFS have it? Let me know.
John