I did not ask for any guaranteed level of performance, just trying to get closer to possible speeds. I'm not on the Mobile service plan, I'm on the Standard, which shows a download speed range of 25 - 100Mbps.
The General Exclusions also has the statement "The Starlink Kit can and may be accessed by SpaceX to perform support actions, request limited diagnostic information, monitor performance, and provide research for improvement purposes." I asked support to run these diagnostics, but there was no response to that either. As far as the unit being used, sure, that does not mean it is defective, but it DOES make me wonder if it was a returned kit, and why was it returned?
As for your other questions:
1. USA
2. Standard Plan
3. Why does the distance to the ground station matter? My data is flowing from my location to and from the satellite(s), not to a ground station.
4. No idea about congestion, but frankly, considering the kit and service cost, I doubt that there are a lot of users in my area. However, as with any other Internet service, I realize there are times of higher use (kids are home from school) and times of lower use (kids are in school) which is why I've run the speed test multiple times a day, and at all hours of the day.
5. The Starlink app reports some obstruction, but it's a very low percentage of operating time. I'm not sure what the obstruction is, because Dishy has a very clear view of the sky to the north and NNE, where it is pointing.
6. I have multiple devices "on my network," however, there are only 2 people in my household; there are rarely more than 2 or 3 devices active at any given time; when I run a speed test, NO device is actively streaming anything.
7. No. Typical internet use is email, browsing, Amazon shopping, and occassional streaming. As I said above, NO streaming is happening when I run a speed test. I'll admit, these activities do not require 100's of MBps, but I'd like to get closer to the possible performance. Kind of like buying a car rated at 45 mpg, but then getting only 25. (I know, I know, YMMV.)
8. I use the Ookla tool. I've found that the Starlink app speed test often does not work; it simply does nothing when I try to run it. I've ensured the app is the latest, and I've uninstalled and reinstaled several times. I've tested from two different phones and a tablet with consistent results.
Yeah, I suppose one or two of those catch-all circumstances could affect me, but it seems to me that EVERY Starlink user might experience at least one of those. Reading lots of reports online indicating many users are seeing speeds decreasing. I suppose I should just accept what I'm getting and move on.
You say you struggled to get 35Mbps, but "those days are gone." What changed for you?