Starlink vs MTN 5G Router in Nigeria: Which is Better After One Month?

There has been much discussion about Starlink and the MTN 5G router, as millions of Nigerians want to know which is worth spending their hard-earned money on.

This year we saw two key milestones in the Nigerian communication space, as MTN became the first telecommunications brand to make 5g available to Nigerians.

Not too long after that, Nigeria became the first African country to get access to Starlink, and there has been so much buzz as people encountered different experiences with both products.

We have also had our fair share of using both services. In this article, I will be sharing my sincere thoughts and experiences based on the speed test, coverage, and set-up between these two gladiators, so without FodaAdo, let’s get into it.

How do You Purchase MTN 5g or Starlink?

When it comes to which of these devices is easier to purchase, I think MTN takes the crown, and for obvious reasons. MTN has been in the Nigerian space for more than a decade and has retail stores all over the country, so when you order from their website, you choose the store closest to you.

This also enables easy customer support, as the number and address of the stores are easy to access. I should also add that MTN provides different payment options such as Nairacard, USSD, QR code, and transfer for 5G routers for easier purchase.

On the other hand, Starlink has no third-party retailer, and purchases of Starlink can only be done through its website. It also requires a dollar-based card or the use of a Nigerian fintech payment start-up like Payday to enable the purchase, and sometimes it takes 2-4 weeks to deliver.

It is also worth noting that many have complained about Starlink's poor customer support; I mean, for a global brand, you sure will expect more.

In terms of the purchase price, the 5G router cost about ₦50,000 while Starlink has a total cost of around $600 (₦450,000) depending on the exchange rate. This fee includes shipping costs and thirty days of free unlimited Internet.

There might also be additional costs while setting up, so it’s good to keep that in mind.

Set Up and Coverage

When it comes to set-up and coverage, it is hard to say who wins this battle, and you will find out why in a minute.

Starlink definitely is harder to set up and has more accessories than the 5G router, I mean, you would expect that; this is satellite technology we are talking about.

For the MTN 5G router, you only need the router, a Nano Sim card, and a cable to supply power, making it easy and portable. For Starlink, in the box, you get a mesh router, a Starlink dish, a Starlink base, a Starlink cable, and a power cable.

There are also other technicalities, formalities, and dos and don’ts while setting up that might be quite a hassle. I did a full review on my YouTube channel, which would be really helpful, so click here to watch the full video. 

Basically, it is more difficult to set up Starlink, and we can’t hold that against them, satellite technology isn’t easy to do as it involves thousands of satellites orbiting the earth, and all this setup has its benefits.

For example, up to 128 people can connect to Starlink, while only 32 devices can connect to MTN. Therefore, Starlink is best suited for offices and large gatherings.

Starlink also provides unlimited data and has a wider coverage as it is effective even in remote areas and villages where 5G penetration has not been reached.

Furthermore, Starlink also uses third-party Mersh nodes, Internet adapters, and Wi-Fi extenders for faster internet speed while in a working building.

However, both Starlink and MTN routers don’t have an in-built battery and might increase the cost of usage in places with little or no power supply.

The 5g routers, due to their simplicity, can easily be charged with a power bank, and Starlink would work better with an inverter, so you might want to keep that in mind.

So although Starlink is more difficult to set up, it definitely takes the victory when it comes to coverage over the MTN 5G router.

Speed test: Starlink vs. Mtn 5g router, which is faster?

Finally, let’s talk about speed tests. There is also really no clear winner, as fast internet from these two depends on a lot of factors. Some of these factors include; speed, location, portability, and affordability.

We tested the gaming, upload, and download speeds of these devices in different scenarios, and the results were as follows:

We tried uploading a 24 GB file, and it took around two days with a few struggles, while the 5G router did this in 5 hours and 2 minutes.

In gameplay, we experienced between 70 to 90 milliseconds of game speed, which is fair enough, and we experienced only one lag when gaming on PC.

However, with the 5G routers in a very good location, you could get to as low as 19 ms, which ensures a better experience, especially when you use the internet cable.

On our PS5, we used Starlink to download a whole game of about `155 GB of files, and it took about 5 to 7 hours to complete that download. Clearly, it has a better download speed than upload speed.

You should also note that Starlink, just like other satellite technologies like the DSTV you use, can be affected by the weather. When it rained our Starlink was reduced by a whopping 75%

After numerous tests and experiences, I am sure you want a definite answer as to which of these you should purchase. Like a quote from one of my favourite books, Psychology of Money, "I am not you, so I can’t tell what is best for you".

5G by design is faster than Starlink, no doubt, with about 300 to 1000 Mbps; however, when you view 5g coverage on a site like speedtest.net, you discover it has very low coverage when compared to 5g which has coverage in almost every part of the country.

However, Starlink is way more expensive to purchase and set up. It took me over ₦500,000 just to purchase and set up, and not many Nigerians can afford that.

Despite that fact, Starlink is more efficient in places without 5g penetration and is perfect in remote areas such as villages; imagine the immense value it will have in IGB camps.

To decide which to buy, it's best to consider certain factors such as the area you stay in, your monthly budget, and how mobile you are.

Again, don’t forget we did a full YouTube review on the MTN 5G router and Starlink after a full month of usage, so feel free to check it out and let me know what you go for.