Starlink with VoIP or Microsoft Teams – What to Expect

Starlink Gen 3 provides impressive broadband speeds, especially in rural or hard-to-reach locations — but because it’s satellite-based, it can behave differently than traditional fibre or copper connections when used with VoIP systems or real-time collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams.

Here’s what you need to know.

1. Latency is Higher Than Fibre – But Manageable

• Latency on Starlink typically ranges between 40–80ms, but can occasionally spike higher depending on signal quality, network congestion, or dish positioning

• While this is far better than older satellite services, it’s still noticeably higher than standard fibre (which may sit at 10–20ms)

• This can lead to slight delays in voice conversations or video calls — especially if multiple users are active at once

2. VoIP Performance Tips

What to expect:

• Generally usable for 1:1 and small group calls

• Occasional voice clipping or echo may occur during high latency or when the connection fluctuates

• Inbound and outbound audio quality can be affected by simultaneous streaming or uploads on the same network

Best practices:

• Prioritise VoIP traffic in your router/firewall (QoS settings)

• Where possible, use Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi for VoIP phones

• Avoid large downloads, cloud backups, or streaming during critical calls

• Use modern VoIP platforms that can buffer and adapt to changing latency (e.g. Teams, Zoom, 3CX)

3. Microsoft Teams and Video Conferencing

What to expect:

• Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet are usable over Starlink

• You may see blurry video, out-of-sync audio, or brief dropouts during moments of network congestion or obstruction

• Group meetings are more sensitive to packet loss and jitter — especially when screensharing or using high-definition video

Tips for smoother performance:

• Close unnecessary apps or browser tabs that consume bandwidth

• Ask staff to avoid running updates or file sync tools during meetings

• Use audio-only when video isn't essential — it helps maintain clarity

• Consider a dual-WAN setup (Starlink + 4G/fibre) with automatic failover for higher reliability

4. Business Setup Recommendations

If you’re using Starlink as your primary or failover connection, we recommend:

• A business-grade router or firewall with traffic shaping and QoS

• Ethernet-based desk phones or VoIP handsets (avoid Wi-Fi models)

• Monitoring tools to track latency, jitter, and call quality

• Fusion IT support for remote config, diagnostics, and escalation

Need Help?
We can help optimise your Starlink setup for voice and video performance, or configure dual-WAN failover to keep you online even when one link struggles.

Ticket Portal: https://support.fusionit.uk
Email: support@fusionit.uk
Phone: 01244 835080

Disclaimer:
This article is intended as a general guide. While we aim to ensure accuracy, Fusion IT cannot be held responsible for any issues, data loss, or damage resulting from the use or misapplication of these instructions. If in doubt, please contact our support team before making changes.