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FAO Existing Starlink Customers: New £8 Roaming Plan Added to UK Satellite Broadband Service

Are you a current customer of SpaceX’s Starlink’s Satellite Broadband service? The company offers ultrafast broadband speeds via its mega constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites. It would appear that for existing UK customers, a new super cheap roaming plan has just been quietly added to its list of services. At just £8 per month, it’s certainly caught our attention.

Here’s a quick low down on Starlink Satellite Broadband

If you don’t know much about Starlink, here are some quick-look facts to get you up to speed with this service from SpaceX and their low earth orbit satellite broadband service:

  • Starlink consists of almost 7000 LEO satellites
  • Around 2,800 of these are v2 Mini / GEN 2A satellites
  • They orbit earth at an altitude between 500 and 600 km
  • By the end of 2027 they plan to have added thousands more to their constellation
  • UK customers typically pay £75+ per month for 30 days, plus £299 for hardware and £19 for postage (this is on the Standard unlimited data plan)
  • This package promises Latency times of 25-60ms, downloads of 25-100 Mbps and uploads of 5-10 Mbps 
  • At the end of last year, Starlink had a global customer network of 4.6 million people (which had risen by 2.3 million from 2023). At the end of 2024, 87,000 of those customers were based in the UK (which had more than doubled from 2023 at 42,000). The majority of these UK customers can be found in rural areas. 

What are the options when it comes to Roaming with Starlink satellite broadband?

Starlink currently has 2 Roaming plans on offer for new customers. These are:

  • ROAM 50GB – Best for infrequent and individual travel with low usage, for £50 per month
  • ROAM Unlimited – Best for RVers, campers, travelers, and working on the go, for £96 per month

Don’t forget you also need to pay between £299 and £399 for the hardware, plus an additional £19 shipping fee). 

The service performance on ROAM can be more variable than what you might get on a residential service, but it does support:

  • Use in motion
  • International travel
  • The option to pause the service when not in use 

New £8pm Roaming Plan for Existing Starlink Customers

Last week we heard whispers of a new £8 per month Roam service offering a 20GB usage allowance. Not the largest, however it would work well as a short-term back-up option. 

Unfortunately, this new cheaper option only appears to be available to existing Starlink customers – It’s not showing online for new customers perusing the options on the Starlink website. 

However if you are already an existing Starlink user, if you go to unpause an already paused service, it would seem you will be shown this new option for £8 per month. Exciting news for current customers! Especially when it comes to those who need a back-up option, those who live in rural areas, or are planning to travel. 

What we would love to see next is this kind of tariff being offered on their Standard package for fixed locations. And, of course, we’d really like to see this £8 per month option become available to new Starlink customers too – Once they’ve purchased the hardware, of course. Watch this space! 

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Starlink Delivers Best Latency in UK Compared with Europe, Finds Ookla

February saw the publication of one of the latest studies from internet benchmarking company Ookla. Their popular Speedtest.net broadband and mobile connection testing service looked at the performance of Starlink’s LEO satellite broadband service, covering locations across Europe.  

The good news is that out of all the countries tested, the UK delivers the best latency. The bad news is that download and upload speeds are poor here in the UK. 

A quick low down on Starlink Satellite Broadband

Here’s some quick-look facts to get you up to speed with Starlink and their low earth orbit satellite broadband service:

  • Starlink consists of almost 7000 LEO satellites
  • Around 2,800 of these are v2 Mini / GEN 2A satellites
  • They orbit earth at an altitude between 500 and 600 km
  • By the end of 2027 they plan to have added thousands more to their constellation
  • UK customers typically pay £75+ per month for 30 days, plus £299 for hardware and £19 for postage (this is on the Standard unlimited data plan)
  • This package promises Latency times of 25-60ms, downloads of 25-100 Mbps and uploads of 5-10 Mbps 
  • At the end of last year, Starlink had a global customer network of 4.6 million people (which had risen by 2.3 million from 2023). At the end of 2024, 87,000 of those customers were based in the UK (which had more than doubled from 2023 at 42,000). The majority of these UK customers can be found in rural areas. 

As can sometimes be expected from newer technologies, the changeable nature of rising customer demand and ability to launch new satellites to keep pace with that demand has meant that Starlink has seen a slight decline in performance here in the UK. 

This performance dip is also affected by differences in access to data capacity at local ground stations as well as regulatory access to the necessary radio spectrum bands which can vary from country to country. 

How does Starlink performance compare across the UK and Europe?

This latest report from Ookla has taken data collected during the last quarter of 2024 and enables us to take a closer look into how Starlink is performing, providing a useful overview across the UK and Europe. You can read the report here. 

The Good

The UK was top of the performance table when it came to latency, delivering the fastest server response times across Europe at 41ms. The slowest was Cyprus, with 144ms. 

When it comes to latency, Starlink has continued to improve in general. Between the last quarter of 2023 and the last quarter  in 2024, data showed a consistent trend of declining median latency across more than a dozen European countries. The UK, for example, saw a drop of 9ms (50ms down to 41ms) with similar improvements being seen in other countries. 

The Not-So-Good

The UK could be found in the bottom half of the performance table for average median download speeds and upload speeds (87.06 Mbps and 12.78 Mbps respectively).

The fastest Starlink downloads were in Hungary and fastest uploads in Romania. 

The Ookla report looking at data from Q4 2022 to Q4 2023 also stated that some of the steepest speed declines were seen in Central European countries when it came to median download speeds. Speeds fell by 31% in Germany (from 94.37Mbps to 65.44Mbps) closely followed by a 24% dip in Switzerland (going from 136.03Mbps to 103.88Mbps). 

But it’s not all bad news!

It would seem, from the data seen in the final quarter of 2024, that there signs of successive speed declines starting to stabilise. Early indications suggest a potential recovery when it comes to download and upload speeds. 

We’ll be interested to see whether this supposed trend continues to hold over the next few quarters to quarters, given the tendency for variability. 

Starlink’s performance set to improve

The broadband and wireless network community expect Starlink performance to continue to improve, with the up-coming SpaceX Starship rocket. This will give them the ability to launch significantly higher numbers of satellites, including the next generation V3 GEN3 bigger satellites that will be able to handle 1Tbps of capacity. This in turn will help them meet the rising customer demand. 

Watch this space. 

With thanks to Ookla for the graph images and Starlink for the main blog image.

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Starlink Reach 4.6 Million Users Worldwide

Over the last 7 months, the Starlink satellite broadband service from SpaceX has amassed a whopping total of 4.6 million users globally. The recent rapid growth of an additional 1.6 million users in less than a year serves as a significant milestone for the company which now encompasses 118 countries and territories across the world. 

Why has Starlink seen such rapid growth recently? 

Starlink reported 3 million satellite broadband users back in May 2024. In the 7 months since, the company has supported its growth by focusing on expanding its services, with the introduction of 27 new markets activating Starlink connectivity. 

Back in April, we blogged about Starlink expanding their broadband capacity here in the UK by increasing the number of gateway antennas at multiple UK sites and by adopting additional bands. 

This was followed just a few months later with the launch of their mini dish and roaming service, also available here in the UK. 

With new markets and growing connectivity to support, Starlink needed to ensure they have the infrastructure to support this connectivity. So they launched 89 new satellites into their ever-increasing constellation. 

There are currently over 7000 active Starlink satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). These include 350 satellites that are designed to directly connect with LTE phones. 

Their commitment to the necessary infrastructure means that Starlink can provide reliable, high-speed internet access even in some of the most remote, hard to reach areas.  

What is Starlink planning next?

Next on the cards for Starlink is the SpaceX launch of its third generation (V3) Starlink satellites. These are due to be launched by SpaceX’s upcoming launch vehicle, Starship.  

Each launch of a new V3 satellite is estimated to add 60 terabits (Tbps) of capacity to the Starlink network. This would significantly outpace the 3 Tbps capacity provided by SpaceX Falcon 9 launches. 

Despite the Starship launch vehicle still undergoing tests in the development stages, it is widely expected to revolutionise satellite deployment. Starship will enable SpaceX to deploy more advanced satellites, providing a larger payload capacity. This in turn means a 10 fold increase in bandwidth and reduced latency for Starlink satellite broadband users. 

Why does it matter about Starlink?

Through the growth of Starlink, especially the rapid growth we’ve seen recently over the past 7 months, we see the potential to reshape internet connectivity on a global scale. Starlink achieved cash-flow breakeven by the end of 2023, showing the world the increasing profitability of satellite broadband. 

It is the belief of Gwynne Shotwell, COO at SpaceX, that the introduction of the new launch vehicle Starship will “position SpaceX as one of the world’s most valuable companies.”

Starlink appears to be going from strength to strength, providing a much needed digital bridge to those in remote, underserved locations and communities. Not only do they deliver a high-speed internet connection to those who otherwise struggle to access broadband, but they are also making it affordable.

The V3 satellites set to launch with the emergence of Starship will likely see Starlink become even more of a fundamental part of connectivity across the globe. 

Fast Wi-Fi Hire for Events with Starlink via Geekabit

If you’re looking to hire Starlink Internet for your next event, we can provide a managed expert service.

Have you been let down before by traditional internet suppliers? Our expertly managed Wi-Fi hire service will allow you to have a fast, stable and speedy Wi-Fi network in areas that other suppliers have previously struggled. 

Our Starlink event kit for Wi-Fi hire can be deployed very quickly for even the most last-minute of events, especially helpful in situations where you’ve been let down by another provider. 

Our fleet of Starlink routers and dishes are available to support any event where resilient and fast internet needs to be deployed at short notice. If your event is being held in London, Hampshire, Sussex, Dorset or Wiltshire and you’re interested in reliable event internet then get in touch with our Wi-Fi experts today.  You can find out more here. 

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Possible Broadband Speeds of 1Gbps+ In Starlink’s Future

Recent activity from Starlink hints at the prospect of delivering gigabit speeds to consumers. Starlink currently offers ultrafast broadband via a mega constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) across the globe. Recently filed statements to the FCC (a board that regulates interstate communication and broadcasting by radio, television, satellite, wire, and cable) have suggested their plan to offer gigabit speeds (1Gbps+) and how they’ll do it. 

What is Starlink Satellite Broaband?

The Starlink network currently consists of 6,458 satellites in orbit, just over 2000 of which are v@ Mini / GEN 2A. Most of these are orbiting at an altitude of c.500-600km. Elon Musk is in the process of adding thousands more to this constellation by the end of 2027. 

UK Starlink customers pay around £75 per month for 30 days, with the cost of hardware on the Starlink Standard plan on top costing £299 plus £20 postage. 

The Standard plan from Starlink promises: 

  • Latency times of 25-60ms
  • Download speeds of c. 25-100 Mbps
  • Upload speeds of c. 5-10 Mbps

How Many UK Customers Do Starlink Have?

By the end of last year, Starlink had 2.3 million customers worldwide, a figure currently at 4 million. There were 42,000 UK customers (up from 13,000 in 2022), most of which were in rural areas. 

At the original commercial launch, Starlink originally aimed to deliver up to 1 Gbps speeds to their customers, with hopes to rise to 10 Gbps in the future. However, once launched, the service has often seen speeds around 200-300 Mbps, and with average performance being lower than that. 

It would seem that the Starlink network is still a way off the 1 Gbps mark, with the average UK customer seeing download speeds of 90.7 Mbps. For the top 10% of fastest connections, this figure rises to 156.9 Mbps. Average upload speeds are 11.2 Mbps, rising to 16.4 Mbps for those in the top 10% fastest connections. However, this does mean that Starlink satellite broadband remains affordable. 

Are gigabit speeds in Starlink’s future? 

The capacity for gigabit speeds via Starlink satellite broadband lies in the ability to launch more of the larger, heavier fully sized next generation (v2 / v3) satellites. 

In order to do this, Starlink need a rocket to handle commercial launches. Their new Starship rocket is currently still a work-in-progress but is nearing the point of completion. 

The more progress Starlink makes, the closer we will get to seeing those gigabit speeds. 

SpaceX recently made a request to the FCC which would allow them to update their second generation (v2) satellites, bringing them closer to earth. This would lower their altitude from circa 520km to circa 480km. This in turn would allow Starlink to use additional radio spectrum in the E band (71-74GHz downlink and 81-84GHz uplink).

These recent filings talk about how these changes would make it possible for Starlink to deliver gigabit speeds, low latency broadband and ubiquitous mobile connectivity to people around the globe who are lacking in adequate broadband. 

This goal was reiterated by the VP of Starlink Engineering at SpaceX, who on the 13th October shared:

“The next generation @starlink satellite will launch on Starship and deliver gigabit connectivity anywhere in the world. We got one step closer to that reality today with an amazing Flight 5!”

It’s worth remembering that LEO satellites are becoming an increasingly competitive environment for broadband operators, and Starlink competitors may well try to block any requests made to the FCC. 

We don’t know when gigabit speeds will become viable for UK Starlink customers. Whilst exciting steps forward are seemingly being made in the right direction by SpaceX Starlink, these things (as we’ve seen before) are complex, expensive and take time. But it would seem that Starlink firmly believes that gigabit and fibre-like speeds are on the horizon for their consumers. 

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Broadband Boost for 300K+ Rural Homes with £800m Government Pledge 

If you live or work in a remote area in England, Scotland or Wales then you may unfortunately know all to well that many remote areas across the UK are left with slow internet speeds, causing a digital divide between rural and urban areas. 

The UK Government aims to tackle this problem that 312,000 rural homes face, by investing £800 million in upgrading broadband infrastructure for those affected. 

The Government’s digital strategy is to achieve full gigabit broadband coverage across the UK by 2030, of which this investment will be a part. 

Rural Regions Struggle to Connect

The CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance, Elizabeth Anderson, has spoken about how millions across England, Scotland and Wales are still struggling to access even some of the basic online services due to poor connectivity. This is especially prevalent in rural areas. Anderson is pleased to see ‘the government’s renewed push to roll out improved broadband.”

Strong, reliable internet isn’t a luxury or a ‘nice to have’ commodity. In today’s digital world, broadband internet is a necessity and should and is considered to be an important utility, just like electricity and heating. 

Anderson says, “Connectivity must be viewed as a core part of modern life in the digital age…, and continued investment such as this project is needed to ensure millions aren’t left digitally excluded.”

Gaps in coverage must be addressed so that rural communities have the same access to online services as those in urban areas. Nowadays, many essential services such as healthcare and education are moving online so having the necessary connectivity to reach these services is vital. 

High-Speed Connections Must Be Affordable

Making sure rural properties have accessible high-speed internet connections isn’t the only hurdle that digital poverty work needs to tackle – It’s the cost too. 

Once these connections to high speed broadband are made available to those in more remote areas of England, Scotland and Wales, the Government must also ensure that the monthly costs of having these connections are affordable. 

We continue to be in a cost-of-living crisis, and it’s important that costs of high-speed internet doesn’t inhibit connecting people in rural areas. 

Rural Areas Left Behind in Digital Revolution

It’s clear that harder to reach areas in rural are remote locations across England, Scotland and Wales have been somewhat left behind when it comes to digital revolution and the Government is aiming to rectify this. 

The digital inequality between rural and urban areas is set to be reduced, ensuring that all parts of the country have access to and can benefit from high-speed internet access. 

In some of these more remote regions, online access has been hindered by outdated infrastructure. In real terms, this means that residents in rural areas face difficulties when trying to perform the simplest of online tasks, for example, streaming video, taking video calls and downloading large files. Things many people in urban areas very much take for granted. 

The Government’s initiative and investment will look at targeting these affected regions to bring them faster internet access. 

We’ve already said how essential it is for communities to have access to fast broadband in today’s digital world, and these new upgrades will make sure that rural communities will gain access to faster, more reliable broadband. 

Wales Set for Large-Scale Broadband Upgrade

This project has highlighted that Wales, for the first time, has the lowest percentage of gigabit coverage in the UK. Rural regions like the South Wales Valleys, Exmoor National Park and the Forest of Bowland are set to benefit from a large-scale broadband upgrade, with significant improvements reducing the digital poverty gap with more urbanised areas.  

This will mean that millions more people will have access to affordable, fast broadband. Rural communities shouldn’t have to struggle with second-rate broadband infrastructure just because they don’t live in an urban area. They still need to access vital online services and require the digital infrastructure to do so. The good news is, the technology required to power fibre broadband, intelligent software and adapting demands by both residents and businesses is more affordable and accessible than before. 

The Government has taken a good step forward with their digital strategy and £800m pledge, but we also need the telecoms industry to take some responsibility to help reduce the digital divide. 

Thankfully, there is good motivation industry-wide for committing to the efficient deployment of networks in rural areas. 

The crux of the matter is, as a nation we need higher bandwidth to keep up with what work and education expects of us from home and in the office. This needs to be widely available across both rural and urban areas, as well as being affordable for all. 

We have high hopes that combining industry collaboration with government funding and digital strategy will provide great outcomes for rural connectivity across England, Scotland and Wales. 

Geekabit Can Help with Rural Connectivity

It’s fantastic that better, faster broadband connectivity is on the way for rural residents and businesses. But what about those of you who need a strong, reliable, fast internet connection now? 

There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to get online and constantly find that you’re dropping out or buffering. 

Our team of Wi-Fi engineers here at Geekabit have various options when it comes to rural connectivity. We’ve helped countless clients connect their remote, rural business premises to more reliable internet via Starlink satellite broadband and mobile broadband options. 

If you are interested in how our Starlink and 4G installation services could help your business, please do get in touch with our friendly team today. We cover Wales out of our Cardiff base, the South Coast of England from our Winchester base and of course London. 

4G mobile broadband or Starlink satellite internet could be just the alternative to fibre that your business needs. 

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Launch of Starlink Mini Dish and Mini Roam Service is a Go for the UK

Launch of Starlink Mini Dish and Mini Roam Service is a Go for the UK

We recently wrote about the launch of Starlink’s new Mini Dish and Mini Roam service – You can read all about it here. At time of publishing it wasn’t yet available in the UK and we were eagerly awaiting an email to say the service was ready for the UK to test. 

And that time has arrived! If you were an early adopter of the ultrafast, low-latency Starlink broadband service from SpaceX then you may have already received an email inviting you to be part of the testing phase of Starlink’s new Mini Dish hardware terminal as well as their Mini Roaming service add-on. 

The ultrafast and low-latency Starlink broadband service from Space X have now launched their new Wi-Fi (only 802.11ac / Wi-Fi 5) integrated Mini Dish (terminal) hardware and Mini Roaming service add-on here in the UK. The downside is that it’s a little more expensive than its USA counterpart.

Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, here is a quick recap on Starlink’s satellite broadband offering. 

What is Starlink Satellite Broadband and how does it work?

SpaceX Starlink currently has 6,171 LEO satellites in orbit around the Earth at an altitude of circa 550km. By the end of 2027 they will have added thousands more. 

Prices for UK residential customers generally start at £75 per month, plus Standard Plan hardware at a cost of £299. For these prices, the operator promises the following speeds:

  • Download – 25-100Mbps
  • Uploads – 5-10Mbps
  • Latency – 25-60ms 

By the end of last year, there were 42,000 Starlink customers in the UK (out of 2.3 million worldwide). This UK figure had almost quadrupled from the 13,000 UK customers in the previous year. 

Most UK Starlink customers can be found in more rural, remote areas. Those in the most remote areas (think oceans, small islands and places like Antarctica) will have the highest latency. 

New Mini Dish Launched in the USA

Back in June across the pond in the US, Starlink invited some of their early adopters to purchase their new Mini Kit (Dish) for $599, which could also come bundled with a new Mini Roam service – for an additional cost of $30 per month. 

In the interest of clarity, these prices are in additional to the existing subscription for residential Starlink broadband. 

The add on of the Mini Roam service gave customers the option of having 50 GB of ‘mobile data’ that they are able to use anywhere in the country. After that 50 GB, they are charged $1 per GB (approximately 81 pence). 

Starlink Launch Mini Dish and Mini Roam Service in UK 

The 1st of August saw the first emails landing in UK Starlink customer’s inboxes, offering this same above service for those in the UK. 

The emails laid out the cost of the new kit (£399) as well as the roaming service which comes in at an extra £50 per month – Rather more expensive than in the US. 

For those of you that are not Starlink customer’s but are desperate to see what’s on offer, here’s a copy of the email:

Starlink Mini Now Available

Starlink Mini is a compact, portable kit that can easily fit in a backpack, designed to provide high-speed, low-latency internet on the go.

Starlink Mini includes a built-in WiFi router, lower power consumption, DC power input, and max download speeds over 100 Mbps*. See Starlink Mini specifications here.

The Starlink Mini Kit can be purchased for £399 with either the Mini Roam 50GB service plan for £50/mo or the unlimited Mobile Regional plan for £85/mo. Learn more on starlink.com/roam.

Available Service Plans

Mini Roam 50GB | £50/mo
Best for weekend travelers, backup internet, and in-motion use

Includes 50GB of Mobile data (£1/GB for additional data), coverage throughout Europe, and in-motion use on land. See our Terms of Service regarding in-motion use.

Mobile Regional | £85/mo
Best for caravans, motorhomes, campers, and travelers throughout a continent

Includes unlimited Mobile data on land and coverage throughout Europe. Ocean and global travel available for an additional £1.98/GB.

Just to recap. The new dish – sized 298.5mm x 259mm x 38.5mm – is 63% lighter than the standard Starlink dish, has an operating temperature range of -30°C to 50°C (-22°F to 122°F), draws around 25-40 Watts on average and can run directly off 12-48V DC (it comes with a small 110V power supply with 15 metres of cable).

The kit is also IP67 Type 4 rated with their DC Power Cable and Starlink Plug/Cable installed (using the Ethernet port drops this rating). The dish has a Field of View (FoV) of 110 degrees (slightly better than ‘Standard’) and a single Ethernet (LAN) port.

What do you think of Starlink’s latest offering? 

The possibility of using Starlink satellite broadband to roam here in the UK is undoubtedly an exciting development in the world of tech. 

We’re hoping to see a reduction in price as the service evolves, but we’ll have to wait and see on that one. 

Could Starlink Satellite Broadband Help You or Your Business? 

If you’re interested in whether Starlink satellite broadband could provide your rural business or outdoor event with more reliable internet than the connection you’re currently on then get in touch with our friendly team today. 

Our Wi-Fi expert engineers are on hand to identify whether Starlink satellite broadband could be the right solution for you. 

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Is Starlink Business Worth It?

Having provided Starlink satellite broadband for a variety of different customers and clients – From large scale charity events to rural businesses and remote residential properties – We’ve seen first hand how Starlink internet is a game changer for people who aren’t able to get a reliable connection from mobile Wi-Fi or fibre broadband. 

Business Starlink vs. Residential Starlink

Did you know that Starlink offers both a Residential and Business internet service? If you’re wondering how they differ from one another and whether it’s worth going for the Business service, then you’re in the right place! 

Is Bigger Better? Let’s Talk Differences in Dish Size

The dish used for Starlink Business internet services is physically bigger than the Residential package dish. There are big benefits of using the Starlink Business antenna with more elements for better performance:

  • More powerful signals can be sent and received 
  • They perform better in all weather conditions and are more durable
  • Improved performance through better quality connections and lower latency
  • When more satellites are in the sky,  they offer a higher bandwidth

In terms of numbers, the business antenna offers a 140 degrees view, compared to the 110 degrees from the Residential antenna. This increases the service availability by 4 times compared to before. 

GPS functionality is also enhanced as well as improving the visibility of the satellite by about 35%. 

Starlink uses a beam-forming technique for their high-performance dishes, which creates a cone of connectivity to satellites. During satellite transitions, there can be ‘mini outages’ but with the bigger dishes these occur less and are less disruptive due to the upgraded business antenna elements offering faster processing. 

Starlink Business dishes are highly durable with IP56 protection, meaning they can withstand strong jets of water. This is in comparison to the Residential antennas which have IP54 protection which protects them against just splashes. 

What does this mean in real terms? Basically, Starlink Business dishes perform better in extreme weather. Not only does the upgraded heat management system mean that it can offer speeds 3 times faster when temperatures exceed 35 degrees, but the Starlink Business antenna also melts snow 1.7 times faster. 

Get Priority Bandwidth with Starlink Business 

Many home users can get everything they need from a Starlink Residential package, but if you need power then Starlink Business could be the better choice. One big plus of Starlink Business is that you are given higher priority traffic than those on Residential plans. 

We mentioned earlier that the higher performing dish on the Starlink Business service has 35% more visibility – Basically the ability to view 35% more of the sky. This means it can connect to more satellites and maintain those connections better. 

What speeds can you get on Starlink Business compared to Residential?

Starlink Business:

Download speeds – 100-350mbps

Upload speeds – 10-50 mbps

Lower latency

Starlink Residential:

Download – Up to 100 mbps 

Starlink Connectivity for Extreme Environments

If your business needs hardware to keep you connected in extreme weather environments (e.g. high humidity, high/low temperatures, heavy snowfall) then the high performance Starlink Business dish is unlikely to let you down. 

For businesses, having 24/7 bandwidth to support business operations is imperative. The service from Starlink Business can offer more stability, faster connections and fewer dropouts. 

Connectivity via Venn and Starlink

The great thing about Starlink Business is that it can benefit organisations big or small. Through a high performance dish, upgrading to Starlink Business could bring your organisation:

  • A better quality connection
  • Lower latency
  • Improved performance 

Starlink hardware can be combined for organisations who need to cover large, critical sites for multiple and many users needing high availability. 

Venn Telecom has partnered with Starlink, enabling the connection of multiple high-performance Starlink antennas and simultaneous connections to various 5G networks. This enhances reliability and speed even further. 

Starlink Satellite Broadband with Geekabit

If you’re considering Starlink satellite broadband as an alternative way to connect to the internet – For a business or event – Then get in touch with our Wi-Fi expert today. We’ve seen the difference Starlink can make for those in remote or rural areas. 

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SpaceX Starlink Set to Expand UK Broadband Capacity 

SpaceX is trying to increase the capacity of its ultrafast broadband via LEO (Low Earth Orbit) constellation of satellites by seeking approval from Ofcom to get a variation on its existing gateway. They plan to do this by increasing the number of gateway antennas at multipe UK sites and by adopting additional bands. 

Starlink LEO Satellites

At the moment, Starlink have a network of 5,289 LEO satellites. They orbit the Earth at an altitude of around 500km. 

SpaceX Starlink has approval to expand this number to approximately 7,500 satellites by the end of 2027. 

What is the Cost of Starlink Satellite Broadband? 

For UK customers, costs start at £75 per month. There is an additional cost for the £449 regular home kit which includes a standard dish, router and relevant kit. There is also a shipping fee of £20 on the Standard package. 

By the end of last year, Starlink had a global network of 2.3 million customers (now at 2.6m). 42,000 of those customers were based in the UK (which is up from 13,000 in 2022). Most of these UK customers are based in rural areas. 

Starlink Broadband Speed

The Standard Starlink broadband package promises download speeds of between 25 and 100 Mbps and upload speeds of 5-10 Mbps. It also offers latency times of 25-50 ms. 

What licenses do SpaceX currently hold for Starlink Satellite Broadband?

SpaceX Starlink currently holds multiple NGSO (Non-Geostationary Earth Station) gateway licenses to operate the network. These NGSO gateway licenses help to connect their NGSO system to the internet via large dishes on the ground. 

SpaceX is asking to update 4 of these in order to help boost capacity and meet the growing demand for its broadband services. This follows their recent upgrade to their latest Gen 2 satellites. 

In specific terms, SpaceX want Ofcom to give them permission to increase the number of antennas at 4 of their 7 sites:

  • Fawley
  • Isle of Man
  • Wherstead
  • Woodwalton

Currently, these 4 gateway sites are allowed to operate up to a 9 Ka-band parabolic antennas. These are used to operate their service to UK customers and those in adjacent countries. 

The request for approval to Ofcom from SpaceX includes:

  • An extra 24 antennas at Fawley, Wherestead and Woodwalton. This would bring the total to 32 antennas for these sites. 
  • These new antennas are planned to operate in bands 27.5-28.0525 GHz, 28.4445-29.0605 GHz, 29.4525-30GHz.
  • An extra 32 antennas at the site on the Isle of Man. This would bring the total to 40 for this site. SpaceX already have access to the frequencies they want to operate at for this site (27.5-30GHz).

The regulator’s consultation is open for responses until the 31st May 2024. They state that their initial assessment is that the requested variation from SpaceX should not:

  • Affect other licensed NGSO services
  • Future NGSO services
  • GSO services
  • Fixed links operating in the same user frequencies

Over in the US, SpaceX Starlink already have authorisation from the FCC for their Gen 1 constellation for 4,408 satellites and their Gen 2 constellation for 7,500. 

What are Starlink’s competitors upto?

Inmarsat (Viasat), another satellite operator, has also applied for an NGSO Earth Station Network License for its new GX-10 non-geostationary orbiting satellite system. 

Inmarsat also plan to extend the coverage of their existing Global Xpress satellite system over the polar region. This will provide communication services to government, defence, aero and maritime commercial customers. 

Whilst their primary focus for their service area is latitudes above 65N, their satellites will also provide intermittent service over parts of the UK. 

Their service will use the Ka-band frequencies 19.7 – 20.2GHz and 29.5 – 30GHz, and whilst Ofcom are consulting on this until the 31st May, they have provisionally approved the request. 

Starlink Satellite Broadband Hire for Events from Geekabit

Did you know about Geekabit’s new service? We can provide your event – Indoor or outdoor – with Starlink satellite broadband hire, even in rural areas. 

If your event is being held in London, Hampshire, Sussex, Dorset or Wiltshire and you’re interested in reliable event internet then get in touch with our Wi-Fi experts today. 

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Top UK Mobile Networks for H2 2023 Revealed by RootMetrics Benchmark

How did UK mobile networks perform in the second half of 2023 when it comes to 4G, 5G and mobile broadband?

RootMetrics (now an Ookla company), a mobile analyst firm, has not long published their latest benchmark study of UK mobile networks (4G and 5G) and mobile broadband performance for H2 2023. 

RootMetrics offers scientifically collected and crowdsourced mobile network performance information to consumers and the industry. The firm captures user information by testing network performance when consumers are using their mobile phone for voice or data communications. 

Results of the latest biannual benchmarking report which once again see EE (BT) come out on top against their UK network rivals at Vodafone, Three UK and O2 (VMO2). 

Which UK mobile network is the best for 4G/5G?

When it comes to 5G performance, the picture painted by this recent report isn’t so clear-cut.

This latest study used data from a 5G-enabled, latest model of Samsung smartphone (the actual model was not disclosed in the report). It was purchased from operator stores and tested for both 4G and 5G performance across all 4 primary UK operators within 16 of the most populated UK cities. 

In summary, the study consisted of:

  • 1 latest model Samsung smartphone
  • 4 primary UK mobile operators
  • 16 UK cities
  • 634,942 tests across hundreds of locations
  • 788 locations were indoor
  • 24,179 miles driven during both the day and night

Results were divided into the following categories:

  • Network reliability
  • Speed
  • Data
  • Call and text quality

Scores were given out of 100 (100 being the highest score). As you can see from the data representation from RootMetrics below, EE came out on top across all categories, while VMO2 were found at the bottom of most. 

Interestingly, every one of the 4 primary UK operators saw a decrease in their overall scores when compared to the last RootMetrics report 6 months prior. 

The Overall Scores for H2 2023 (vs H1 2023), in order of best to worst, are:

1. EE – 94.2 (down from 95.9)
2. Vodafone – 90.1 (down from 92)
3. Three UK – 89.3 (down from 90.2)
4. O2 – 86.4 (down from 86.7)

So which is the best UK mobile network? When we look at the average (median) UK download speeds for both 4G and 5G networks, then the strongest data speeds were delivered by EE (68.6Mbps, which was up from 65.1Mbps in the last report).

Vodafone also saw an increase in data speeds, increasing to 34.5Mbps (from 29.4Mbps). Despite O2 improving their data speed score from 15.5Mbps to 19.9Mbps, they still scored the bottom of the 4 providers. Just behind Vodafone to take 3rd place, Three UK fell slightly to 32.3Mbps (down from 34.7Mbps). 

How is 5G performing on UK networks so far?

However, when we look purely at 5G networks, we see a bit of a different picture emerge when compared to the previous report for the first half of 2023. 

Whereas H1 2023 saw Three UK as the fastest median 5G download performance, that award now goes to EE. O2 were unfortunately at the bottom with a score well below the other 3 primary UK networks. The scores for median download speeds for 5G from the H2 2023 report were:

  1. EE – 174.1 Mbps
  2. Three – 165.7 Mbps
  3. Vodafone – 158.3 Mbps
  4. O2 – 68.7 Mbps

What is the availability of 5G on UK mobile network providers? 

As well as 5G speeds, the availability of 5G across UK networks was also tested. 

All 4 of the UK mobile network providers had 5G availability of over 52% during this latest UK wide testing. 

The UK providers in order of 5G availability are:

  1. Three – 57.6%
  2. O2 – 54.5%
  3. EE – 52.3%
  4. Vodafone – 41.9%

You can find more data below for particular regions as well as the most improved cities. 

What can we take away from this report on 5G speed and availability on UK mobile network operators?

So it would seem that even though EE has the fastest 5G speeds, that 5G connection is less available than that of its competitors Three and O2. 

Despite coming second place in terms of speed, Three weren’t too far behind EE and are also slightly more available. 

O2 might have decent 5G availability, but the speed of that connection is pretty dire according to this latest report. 

In terms of 5G speed, Vodafone aren’t too far behind rivals EE and Three, however they are at the bottom of the pile with the lowest 5G availability. 

What more would we like to know about 4G/5G connections across the UK mobile networks? 

If you’d like to read more on this and see further data, head to the full report from RootMetrics UK Mobile Performance Review 2H 2023 here. 

Whilst this review does shine a light on 5G speeds across the UK and how UK mobile networks are performing, it does only give select information. 

It would be interesting to also see how the networks perform when it comes to upload speeds and latency using 4G/5G connections. 

As you can see from the review, there seems to be a strong focus on urban areas across the bigger cities in the UK. Here at Geekabit we talk a lot about the struggles of rural businesses and more remote locations that still need strong 4G/5G mobile broadband connections. Some more data on the performance of UK mobile networks in these areas would be beneficial and would give a clearer picture of 4G/5G availability and speed across the UK as a whole. 

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Connections Boosted by VMO2 5G Drones for Search and Rescue Missions

Here at Geekabit we talk a lot about the problems that rural areas face when it comes to connectivity – Whether it’s mobile or broadband. 

Mostly we’re talking about businesses and homes that struggle with more traditional forms of broadband internet connectivity as well as mobile broadband options. 

But what about organisations that rely on connectivity outside the normal 4 walls of business premises?

For Search and Rescue teams, staying connected couldn’t be more vital. Yet, they’re often plunged into rural and remote locations trying to find someone missing and potentially hurt. 

So how can we make sure that these Search and Rescue teams stay connected with their base and are able to utilise location data? 

Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) has come up with just the solution. They’ve recently developed a 5G-connected drone that is specifically designed to bolster the communication that is so vital to Search and Rescue teams. 

Who is trialling this 5G drone for Search and Rescue teams? 

The first Search and Rescue team to trial VMO2’s 5G drone is Warwickshire Search and Rescue team.

As we said above, communication in remote and vast terrains is absolutely vital but can be a challenge for Search and Rescue teams. As the work of these teams is so time critical, it’s essential that their effectiveness is unhindered by communication and connectivity problems. 

As a Lowland Rescue Unit, the Warwickshire Search and Rescue team play a vital role in locating vulnerable missing persons alongside the police. 

With a 45% increase in callouts between 2020 and 2022, the demand for their services continues to surge with 65 callouts in 2023 – That’s more than 1 per week. 

How does VMO2’s 5G drone work?

The 5G Technical Trials Team over at VMO2 saw this need for critical connectivity and devised a portable solution that uses a network of low earth orbit (LEO) satellites. The portability and compactness of the tech means that it’s small enough to be integrated into a drone. Ideal for vast, remote spaces. 

This easy-to-deploy drone acts like a flying mobile phone mast, enabling Search and Rescue teams to stay connected via seamless 5G connectivity regardless of their location.

What do VMO2 have to say?

Here at Geekabit we love to see how innovative thinking and technological advancements combine to create fresh ideas and impactful solutions to a whole range of problems. 

Head of Technical Trials for Virgin Media O2, David Owens, says:

“This project is a further example of how fresh-thinking and 5G technologies can be combined to provide real societal benefits.

“The solution has the potential to transform how search and rescue teams operate and respond to life-threatening situations, enabling them to make faster and more decisive decisions. We’re enormously proud that our connectivity will be able to help these teams to save lives.”

What do Warwickshire Search and Rescue make of the 5G drone?

Trustee and Search Technician at Warwickshire Search and Rescue, Steve Brown says: 

“With more and more callouts each year, this drone with mobile connectivity is a powerful tool for our team to understand and assess a situation immediately, saving crucial time in life-threatening situations.

“It means we will always be connected, ensuring seamless communication and efficient coordination throughout our missions. As a result of this, we will connect the unreachable, save lives, and inspire a new era of technological possibilities.”

There’s no doubt that this innovative use of 5G mobile connectivity is a fantastic example of how technology can be used in even the most hard-to-reach places. 

In the UK, someone is reported missing every 90 seconds. The more swiftly that person can be located, the better the outcome. For those that have gone missing in a remote area, a Search and Rescue team that can stay reliably connected will be a huge advantage. 

As Portfolio Holder for Fire & Rescue and Community Safety at Warwickshire County Council, Councillor Andy Crump said: 

“The Warwickshire Search and Rescue team do such vital work for our local community by assisting the police in searching for missing people. 

“This new solution from Virgin Media O2 will help the team on these missions and ultimately save many lives. It is further evidence of the positive impact improved connectivity can have upon our society.”

We’re looking forward to seeing how 5G drones and satellite broadband technology can be accessed in more remote areas and rural locations.

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