Broadband customers in rural and remote areas are to be able to access Starlink’s constellation of Low Orbit Satellites in a landmark agreement from BT (EE). This will benefit customers who live in rural areas where traditional fixed-line infrastructure is economically unviable or geographically challenging.
With Starlink being quick to deploy and capable of delivering download speeds of up to 280 Mbps, this is bound to be great news for rural residential internet users.
It is expected that customers will be able to access this new service this time next year, in late 2026. The assumption is that BT (EE) will be planning a slightly different offering to what can already be bought directly from Starlink itself.
Starlink is already used by other providers; sometimes the service is resold and other times it’s adopted as backhaul for an existing network. O2 have also recently announced their harnessing of Starlink connectivity by connecting their roaming mobile users via Direct to Cell.
What are BT and Starlink saying about the new service?
CEO of BT Group Allison Kirkby, had this to say about the new agreement between BT and Starlink:
“As we create a better BT for all of us, no one is doing more to connect the UK than we are. This landmark agreement with Starlink is a giant leap for rural connectivity – allowing us to get fast and reliable in-home connectivity to our customers in some of the UK’s most rural and isolated areas and to bridge the digital divide better than ever.”
VP of Business Operations at SpaceX Chad Gibbs, said:
“On behalf of Starlink, we’re excited to team up with BT Group and bring high-speed internet to more people across the UK. Their local presence will help us reach those communities which have historically faced challenges with reliable connectivity. Starlink is committed to its mission to connect the unconnected while maintaining focus on delivering overall quality of service.”
How Does Starlink Work and How Much Does It Cost?
Starlink currently has almost 8,900 satellites in orbit (with around 5,300 of those being v2 / V2 Mini). Most of these satellites orbit at an altitude of between 500 and 600km. This number continues to increase.
Direct from Starlink, residential customers in the UK usually pay from £75 a month on the ‘Standard’ unlimited data plan, plus £299 for hardware (although this is currently on offer for free for most areas). Kit prices may vary due to different offers.
Starlink currently promises UK latency times of 26-33ms, downloads of 116-277Mbps and uploads of 17-32Mbps.
Cheaper and more restrictive options also exist for roaming users.
Starlink for Businesses
This all sounds great for residential customers, but what about businesses operating out of rural locations?
Geekabit’s expert Wi-Fi engineers are skilled in providing Starlink connectivity to rural businesses, as well as temporary Wi-Fi and connectivity for events.
Whether it’s supporting the day to day operations of your business, or powering connectivity across an event site, we’ve got a Starlink solution to suit your needs.
For more information and to see how Geekabit can help keep your rural business or event connected, get in touch with our friendly team.
