Starlink Mini Powers Remote Road Trips As Rivals Emerge

On a chilly January morning in 2026, a family of four set out from St. Anthony, Idaho, on a 246-mile round trip to the famous Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park. Their journey, which crossed Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, wasn’t just a family adventure—it was a real-world test of the Starlink Mini, SpaceX’s portable satellite internet device, in some of the most notorious cell dead zones in the American West. This hands-on trial, as reported by PCMag, offers a window into the rapidly shifting landscape of global broadband connectivity, where new players and technologies are vying to bring high-speed internet to even the most remote corners of the planet.

For the uninitiated, Starlink is the satellite internet arm of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, and it’s been making headlines for its ambitious plan to blanket the globe with low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. As of early January 2026, Starlink boasted over 5 million subscribers in 125 countries, up from 4.6 million at the end of 2024, according to a tweet by Musk himself. Starlink currently operates more than 7,000 LEO satellites, with long-term plans to deploy as many as 40,000. Its expansion into India, through agreements with telecom giants Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, signals the company’s intent to dominate not just North America, but the world.

But Starlink isn’t alone in this race. Alphabet, the parent company of Google, made waves this month by spinning off Taara, a company focused on laser-based internet broadband technology. Taara operates in 12 countries and aims to deliver high-speed internet to rural areas, a mission similar to Starlink’s. As reported by Investor’s Business Daily, Alphabet retains a minority stake in Taara, which is now seeking outside financial support, including from Series X Capital. This move is part of Alphabet’s broader strategy to commercialize its “Moonshot” research projects, following in the footsteps of self-driving car pioneer Waymo and other ambitious ventures.

Amazon, too, is in the mix with its Kuiper satellite network, which Eversore ISI analyst Mark Mahaney called "the only realistic challenger" to Starlink. Kuiper plans to use a network of ground-based antennas and fiber-optic connections, but its satellite launches have faced delays due to reliance on Amazon’s Blue Origin launch services. Meanwhile, Europe’s Eutelsat is eyeing potential gains in Ukraine and other countries affected by geopolitical upheaval. The competition is fierce, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Back on that frosty road trip, the Starlink Mini proved its mettle. The device, a compact and portable version of Starlink’s standard dish, is designed for use on the move—whether on an RV, boat, or, in this case, a Toyota Corolla. Outfitted with the Roam plan, the Mini allowed the family to stay connected even as their cell signals vanished upon entering Yellowstone, a place where most travelers resign themselves to digital isolation.

Setting up the Mini wasn’t plug-and-play. The author, a seasoned tech reviewer, used a combination of accessories to mount and power the device. The Trio Mini Speed Mount ($150) and the SavageUTV Starlink Mini Rooftop Mount ($249.95) both used powerful magnets to secure the dish to the car’s roof. The SavageUTV mount, with its metal construction, aerodynamic design, and integrated handles, ultimately won favor for its ease of use—especially since it could be attached or removed without tools, a feature that proved invaluable during frequent stops.

Powering the Mini required some ingenuity. While driving, a 15-foot 12V vehicle power adapter ($35) kept the device running. For off-grid use—say, at a picnic table in the woods—the SavageUTV Starlink Mini Dewalt Kit ($129.95) allowed the Mini to run off a standard DeWalt drill battery. This setup could provide an hour or more of internet from a single 20V, 2Ah battery, with longer runtimes possible using larger batteries. Such flexibility is a game-changer for digital nomads and anyone needing reliable connectivity far from the nearest power outlet.

As the miles ticked by, the Starlink Mini maintained a rock-solid connection, even at highway speeds of 80 mph and through dense forests and canyons. The author’s wife streamed music, the kids watched Netflix, and not once did the connection falter. At Old Faithful, while other tourists struggled to send text messages, the family clocked download speeds of 308 Mbps and upload speeds of 28 Mbps—numbers that would make many city dwellers envious.

Along the way, the author encountered another Starlink Mini user, Elliot, who had taken portability to the next level with a dual-battery DeWalt setup. This allowed for hot-swapping batteries and uninterrupted Zoom meetings from the remotest locations in Canada and the US. As Elliot recounted with a laugh, a coworker once asked about his high-resolution “nature background” on a video call. His reply: "It’s not a background. I’m actually here." The encounter underscored how Starlink is enabling a new kind of remote work and adventure, one where connectivity is no longer a limiting factor.

Yet, not everything was perfect. The need to stow the dish during stops, lest it be stolen, was a minor hassle. And powering the Mini from the car’s 12V port meant the internet died whenever the engine was off—a minor inconvenience for casual travelers, but a potential dealbreaker for full-time nomads. The lesson? For true freedom, an independent power source is essential.

This on-the-ground experience echoes the broader financial and technical challenges facing the satellite internet industry. LEO satellites, like those used by Starlink and Kuiper, have a typical lifespan of five to seven years and must be replaced regularly—a costly endeavor. Both companies are seeking ways to balance rapid expansion with financial sustainability. For Musk, a potential initial public offering (IPO) of SpaceX—or even a Starlink spin-off—could provide a much-needed financial boost, especially as Tesla and social media platform X face their own struggles.

Alphabet’s journey hasn’t been without setbacks, either. Its earlier Loon project, which aimed to provide internet via high-altitude balloons, was shut down in 2021. Still, the company remains committed to pushing the boundaries of connectivity with projects like Taara, Chorus (supply chain sensors), Tapestry (electric grids), Isomorphic Labs (drug development), and Tidal (ocean protection).

For consumers, the implications are profound. As the Starlink Mini road test demonstrated, high-speed internet is no longer confined to urban centers or even to places with cell towers. Whether you’re a digital nomad, a parent on a long road trip, or a worker in a remote region, the world is suddenly a lot more connected.

Stock market watchers have noticed the turbulence too. According to Investor’s Business Daily, Google stock fell 1.4% to $162.69 on the day of the report, retreating 13% in 2025. Amazon stock is down 8%, while Tesla’s has plummeted 32% over the same period. These numbers reflect the volatility—and the high stakes—of the ongoing broadband revolution.

In the end, the verdict from the Yellowstone road trip was clear: using Starlink Mini on the road is transformative. It requires some setup and investment in accessories, but the payoff—uninterrupted Wi-Fi in the wildest places—is hard to overstate. As new players like Taara and Kuiper enter the fray, and as legacy companies adapt to a changing landscape, one thing is certain: the future of internet connectivity is being written on the backroads and in the skies, far from the reach of traditional networks.