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arXiv · 2610.35874

Where Does My Call Go? Measuring Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams on Starlink

Kousar Malekinasab·Mostafa Abdollah·Jinwei Zhao·Jianping Pan
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Abstract

Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) satellite networks are expanding broadband access, but major Real-Time Communication (RTC) platforms, including Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams, still rely on service-point selection mechanisms that appear to be largely shaped by terrestrial-network assumptions. As a result, they may not consistently account for LEO-specific dynamics such as satellite topology and Point-of-Presence (PoP) changes, especially during in-flight connectivity. To characterize RTC service-point selection over Starlink, we measure RTC performance using a Canada-wide testbed and more than 24 hours of in-flight experiments. Our results show clear platform differences. Google Meet tends to align more closely with the serving PoP, consistent with broader observed edge coverage. Zoom follows a regional service-point selection pattern, while Microsoft Teams often remains tied to fixed service points. Moreover, we show that in-flight PoP handovers can shift traffic egress points mid-session, and that RTC platforms respond differently to these changes. In some cases, this interaction leads to suboptimal service-point selections and RTT inflation. Overall, our findings suggest that LEO connectivity can expose mismatches between Starlink egress dynamics and RTC service-point selection, motivating further measurement and LEO-optimized designs for service placement and selection.

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Kousar Malekinasab, Mostafa Abdollah, Jinwei Zhao, Jianping Pan. 2026-06-26. Where Does My Call Go? Measuring Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams on Starlink. https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.35874

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