Will Starlink Kill Winlink?

It's a valid question. Is Starlink poised to make radio-based Winlink irrelevant? If I had been asked this question a year ago, I'd have said, "not likely". Today, things have changed a bit. What's happened to change my mind? The new Starlink Mini, and where Starlink seems to be taking their service.

Starlink Mini antenna. Yes, it really is that small

Winlink is a wonderful system. It's one of the few 'killer apps' in ham radio - it's so good and offers so much real-world functionality that access to the Winlink system is, by itself, justification for going through the pain of getting a General-class license and investing in hundreds or thousands of dollars of radio equipment. In a fully infrastructure denied environment (like Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina), Winlink is often the only system available in the hours immediately after a disaster that lets survivors reach beyond the impacted region and let others know their status. But as I've mentioned, Winlink access comes with some serious overhead - a General ticket, specialty equipment and specialty software.

I've kept an eye on Starlink for a few years, and last year purchased one of their standard Gen 2 systems. The Starlink 'ecosystem' is impressive in its concept and realization. For the first time in history a private entity has delivered low-cost, bi-directional, space-based bandwidth, virtually anywhere on the globe. That is a stunning achievement, and a game changer for how we as preparedness and ham radio geeks should think of emergency communications.

As I said, I've been using Starlink for over a year. I'm a casual user, turning it on and off as needed (I use the Roam package that Starlink offers). It has come in handy on a few camping trips when there was no cell coverage we could link our phone hotspots up to. The biggest shortcoming the Gen 2 standard antenna and router package has is that it's an AC-only setup. You have to plug the router into an outlet, which powers the router and passes voltage to the antenna. Since all Starlink antennas are 'active' (remember, you are both receiving and pushing data through the antenna) they need a power source. And it's not just a trickle of power - the dish will draw up to 75(!) watts when pushing data up to the satellite constellation. From a preparedness perspective, this is a huge negative; in a disaster situation, commercial AC power is one of the first utilities to go. So, the Starlink system is robust, viable and easy to use, but the AC power requirement is its Achilles heel.

My Gen2 Starlink antenna set up for Field Day 2024. The router is at the other end of the cable, under the shelter

The recently released Starlink Mini effectively addresses that Achilles heel. The Mini is specifically designed for portable outdoor use. Starlink advertising even shows a guy hiking with the antenna strapped to his backpack, and you can find videos on YouTube of people hiking with the antenna facing outwards, actively connected to the Starlink constellation and enjoying mobile space-based internet access.

Strap it on and enjoy YouTube videos while hiking the Appalachian Trail.
But please... don't

How does the Mini achieve this new level of portability? Well, it's a smaller antenna (so yes, lower bandwidth speeds - we'll discuss this in a bit) and they have built the router into the antenna. It's all in a clever package that is IP67 rated (are you reading this, Icom, Yaesu & Kenwood?). But the icing on cake is that the Mini system can be powered over a USB-C cable plugged into a relatively inexpensive power brick, the kind of thing you'd buy to charge your tablet or phone. Don't take it from me - just watch the Starlink Hardware guy on YouTube testing various power bricks:

Looking at the capabilities of the new Starlink Mini system, I consider it a mandatory adjunct to any communication readiness equipment package. It's going to be a part of my standard comms package when I head out camping, or even just for a day of casual outdoor operating fun. In fact, to NOT incorporate a Starlink Mini into a standard ARES/EMCOMM comms package is akin to negligence. Not everyone in the party needs a bring a Starlink system, but the deployment of Starlink - who'll bring it, how the service will be paid for, who will manage it and control access, etc. - needs to be part of the planning process.

We're back to the opening question - does Starlink replace Winlink? No, it doesn't replace Winlink as an application or a service, but it can certainly change how ARES/EMCOMM organizations connect to Winlink. Winlink as an application and a service provides the standardized forms we rely on to pass information to served agencies. How those forms get to the served agency is irrelevant - over the air via HF, UHF or VHF, or by telnet. The ability to use a completely off-grid internet service to connect to Winlink via telnet is a huge force multiplier. As anyone who's used Winlink in a disaster scenario knows, the telnet version of Winlink is faster and there are no RMS connection issues. 

So then, does Starlink make Winlink via radio irrelevant? No, at least not yet. The Starlink Mini provides somewhat restricted bandwidth. Tests I've seen peg the service at about 200 mbps down, about 15 mbps up. This is certainly enough bandwidth for one or two users to enjoy reliable internet access for routine tasks like sending & receiving email, posting pictures, video chatting or watching videos. An ideal family or small team solution. But if the Starlink Mini is the only internet service available to a larger group, like a temporary EOC, then bandwidth will slow to a crawl. This means rationing access and looking for ways to off-load comms requirements to other systems. This is where radio-based Winlink comes back into play. In addition, if served agencies are running Winlink in a peer-to-peer mode, then radio-based Winlink is essential.

What impact does this have on service recommendations? As ham radio operators we're all about the radio, but if we're talking to someone with no ham radio background and who only wants the ability to reach out to loved ones to let them know they are safe and well, then my recommendation is Starlink. It's cheaper, easier and more effective. To not recommend Starlink as the first and best option is dishonest. So let's keep it honest. 

W8BYH out