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68% of UK Premises Now Have Full Fibre Available 

Full Fibre broadband is now available for 68% of UK premises. 

Over recent years we’ve seen steady growth when it comes to the number of premises having Full Fibre broadband available to them, as you can see illustrated in the graph below. 

However, when we look at smaller increments of time, some commenters are frustrated at the length of time it is taking, willing it to be faster. The increase from 67% to 68% has taken just over a month (34 days to be precise) which is slightly longer than the usual time we would expect for a 1% increase. To put it into context, the fastest 1% increase that has been recorded is almost half of this. 

So does this mean that the speed and intensity of Full Fibre rollouts are diminishing? Are they a disaster and starting to slow down, rather than sprinting to the finish – A target of 85% coverage by 2025 and national coverage (99.9%) by 2030?

There are several complex factors that can account for the apparent slowing of Full Fibre broadband rollout. 

Factors Affecting Full Fibre UK Rollout:

  • A large influencing factor for the latest % rise taking longer than expected is the overlap between the different networks, in particular nexfibre and CityFibre rollouts.
  • Another factor to consider is that not every % increase is the same – There seems to be an ebb and flow with Openreach and their rollout where we see a couple of mediocre months in terms of volume, and then a big month. It’s expected that Openreach FTTP will be increasing in volume over the next few weeks.
  • Remember that Full Fibre broadband availability is not the same as take up. Once it is available, providers obviously want customers to take it up in those areas. This means that some providers temporarily pause their rollout in order to spend time focusing on the take up.

Which parts of the UK have the least Full Fibre availability? 

There are still many local authority areas that have low availability of FTTP (Fibre to the Premises). 

The 10 local authorities with the lowest availability can be found below. 

Local Authority% Premises FTTP Available% Increase
Na h-Eileanan an Iar6.39No change since 15/3/24
Shetland Islands5.81.35 increase since 7/6/24
Isles of Scilly9.49No change since 15/3/24
Orkney Islands11.941.11 increase since 7/6/24
Harlow District13.70.01 increase since 7/6/24
West Dunbartonshire14.740.71 increase since 7/6/24
Argyll and Bute16.950.04 increase since 7/6/24
Perth and Kinross20.311.22 increase since 7/6/24
Telford and Wrekin23.310.35 increase since 7/6/24
South Tyneside District25.272.48 increase since 7/6/24

Where in the UK has the best FTTP coverage? 

Unfortunately, there is quite a gulf between the worst areas of the UK for Full Fibre (see above table) and the best. 

The top area of the UK for FTTP coverage is Kingston upon Hull, with a whopping 99.75% of premises having access to Full Fibre availability. 77% of these properties even have the choice of two or more networks when it comes to connecting to Full Fibre broadband. 

We’re excited to see how Full Fibre broadband coverage continues to increase over the coming months and years as the UK moves towards its target of 85% coverage next year. 

We’d love to see more of the least covered local authority areas increase their FTTP availability during that time too so that even more of the UK is covered. 

by admin
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Broadband Hampshire Low LAtency Mobile Broadband Mobile COnnectivity Satellite Broadband Satellite Internet Starlink Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Hire for Events
Starlink Latency – Is It Fast Enough to Hire for Events?

Network providers are constantly striving to improve performance to their service and Starlink engineering teams are no different. Starlink’s focus and goal is to deliver a service where the median latency is a stable 20ms with minimal packet loss. 

With customers and users across the globe, Starlink has managed to meaningfully reduce the median and worst-case latency over the past month. As an example, users in the US benefited from a reduction of 30% in median latency, taking it from 48.5ms to 22ms during peak times. Worst-case latency during peak times also dropped, this time by 60% from over 150ms to less than 65ms. 

Customers outside of the US have also enjoyed reduced median latency by up to 25% and worst-case latency by up to 35%. 

What is Latency?

Already we’ve talked a lot about latency – That’s what this article is about! Here’s a brief explanation of what latency actually is. 

Latency is generally measured in milliseconds, and refers to the amount of time it takes for a packet to be sent from your Starlink router to the internet and for the response to be received. This can also be referred to as RTT or “round-trip time.” 

For someone’s perceived experience of using the internet, latency is one of the most important factors. It can significantly affect things like:

  • The speed in which web pages load
  • How ‘real life’ audio and video calls feel
  • Responsiveness of online gaming

If you’re wondering actually how important latency is when it comes a user experience of using the internet, here’s an example. During testing, increasing the bandwidth beyond 10 Mbps didn’t increase the speed of which a web-page loaded, yet those that reduced latency saw much quicker load times. 

How Does Starlink Measure Latency?

Starlink’s latency is measured by collecting anonymous measurements from millions of Starlink routers. This measurement is taken every 15 seconds. The median and worst-case latencies are then calculated by taking the average of these 15 second latency measurements. 

Median Latency

The median (50th percentile or p50) refers to the point where half of the latency measurements are below that number and the other half are above. 

Worst-Case Latency

The worst-case latency, or 99th percentile, is defined as the place where 99% of measurements are better than a certain point. 

When Are These Measurements Taken?

Measurements are taken from all points in time so all data can be analysed, but Starlink do specifically look at how they are performing during peak times (between 6pm and 9pm). This is when most people are using a Starlink connection and the network is under the most load. 

What Affects Latency When Using a Starlink Connection?

There are a few factors that can affect latency in any network. For Starlink, the biggest things affecting latency are: 

  • Physical speed-of-light propagation from the user to the satellite and back to the ground.

    This goes back to the RTT (round trip time) we referred to earlier. Each part of the trip (there and then back) takes about 1.8 to 3.6 ms, with a total RTT of under 10 ms (usually).

    If traffic flows over laser links instead of directly to the ground, higher incidences of latency could occur. This would be as a result of congestion mitigation, lack of satellite to ground paths, and other factors.

    Laser connectivity is actually essential for connecting the most remote locations on Earth as well as for routing around congestion in the network. Starlink are however striving to make sure that latency sensitive traffic can flow over the shortest path possible. 
  • Ground latency from the gateway sites to the internet connection point driven by ground network layout.

    During 2024 the US will see the introduction of PoPs or Points of Presence, where Starlink has added 6 internet connect locations. They are optimising gateway locations and planning algorithms to ensure that traffic can land as close to its destination point as possible.

    Starlink continue to ensure that users are allocated to optimal internet connection locations, so that all users get the lowest latency possible route to the internet. 
  • Fronthaul (the radio links between the satellite and user) scheduling latency driven by the network topology and the number of users served by a given beam from a satellite.

    Over the past few months, Starlink’s major focus has been on optimising fronthaul scheduling latency, even though this is an inherent part of shared wireless systems. 
  • Non-physical limitations in the system.

    This would include unneeded processing delays, unoptimised buffers, or unnecessary packet drops that force retries.

    Buffers across the Starlink network have been right sized to reduce bufferbloat, and queueing algorithms have been improved to increase capacity on their gateway links from the ground to satellites. 


Starlink Wi-Fi latency has been improved, with the addition of active queue management (fq_codel) to the Starlink Wi-Fi router. What does this mean in real life? Well, with active queue management enabled, if one person on your Wi-Fi is downloading a big file, and another is playing a game, the queue management will make sure that game latency will not be affected by the download. 

How Are Starlink Striving to Reach the Goal of 20ms Latency?

Starlink has been monitoring and gaining metrics across the network to measure latency on every subsystem down to the microsecond over the past few months. They have rigorously tuned their algorithms to prefer paths with lower latency, no matter how small the difference and to remove any and all sources of unnecessary and non-physical latency. 

This is just a selection of some of the most impactful changes Starlink has made and continues to make. 

Since the beginning of the year, teams have deployed and tested 193 different satellite software builds, 75 gateway software builds, 222 Starlink software builds, and 57 Wi-Fi software builds. 

Over 2.6 million people around the world have chosen Starlink as their internet provider via satellite broadband. These customers can expect latency to continue to improve over the coming weeks and months as Starlink prioritises software changes, builds additional ground infrastructure, and launches more satellites. 

Future updates from Starlink are expected to include performance stats and more network goals as they work to improve the user experience. 

How Can I Check Starlink Latency For My Location? 

Be sure to check the latest latency statistics for your region at starlink.com/map.

Is Starlink Fast Enough to Hire for Events?

Absolutely! Here at Geekabit, we are delighted to be able to offer fast, reliable Wi-Fi via Starlink for a range of events and purposes across London and parts of the South of England. 

We’ve diligently tested what we can offer via Starlink when it comes to temporary Wi-Fi for outdoor events. Some of our test events included supporting policing events in London, hybrid meetings, rural wedding fairs and a busy city fireworks fundraising event. 

For more information on our Starlink hire service, please visit our blog. Fast Wi-Fi hire is available for events with Starlink hire from Geekabit. Feel free to contact us to find out more. 

by admin
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4G 4G Mobile Broadband Broadband Mobile Broadband Wi-Fi
4G Mobile Coverage ‘Not-Spots’ Identified by Rubbish Trucks in Mid-Wales 

A major new project has launched in Mid-Wales to identify areas with poor 4G mobile broadband coverage. The programme from Growing Mid Wales is aiming to find mobile ‘not-spots’ by installing ‘advanced data-capturing devices’ on waste collection vehicles to measure 4G mobile coverage and network capacity as they move through Powys and Ceredigion. 

This idea to map mobile coverage across the region using waste refuse trucks is highly cost-effective, negating the need for logistical costs and hiring of specialist teams and vehicles to achieve the same outcome. The waste collection vehicles go about their regular routes, all the while collecting 4G mobile coverage data. 

Growing Mid Wales is part of the Mid Wales Growth Digital Programme. This is a long term investment from the Mid Wales Growth Deal with a combined commitment of £110 million from the UK and Welsh Governments. 

4G Mobile Data Collected from 4 Major Networks

Specially equipped waste collection vehicles will collect 4G mobile broadband data from the 4 major Mobile Network Operators in Wales and the rest of the UK – EE, O2, Three UK and Vodafone. 

The data collected will then be used by Grow Mid Wales to develop projects and interventions to specifically target key areas where connectivity is more of a challenge. This in turn will help enhance digital infrastructure across the mid-Wales regions. 

Free 4G Coverage Checker

Funded by the UK’s Shared Prosperity Fund from the UK Government and supported by the local authorities in Powys and Ceredigion, this project will also produce a coverage checker tool. 

Growing Mid Wales is set to launch this free tool later this summer, which will enable people in the Mid Wales area to check mobile coverage and subsequently identify the best mobile provider for their needs. This will provide digital transparency to those in areas where connectivity is more of a challenge. 

What do Growing Mid Wales have to say about the project?

“We are thrilled to launch this groundbreaking project in Mid Wales. Identifying and addressing ‘mobile not-spots’ and areas of poor network capacity is crucial for the region’s development.

This initiative aligns with GMW’s overarching goals, supporting decision-making for digital infrastructure deployments, regional economic development, and innovation. Having better information about coverage will increase our ability to work with commercial providers to address genuine not-spots and problem areas in coverage. In turn, this will help us pinpoint the areas where public intervention may be required to accelerate and/or enable deployment to ensure we have safe, reliable coverage across the region.”

Whilst rubbish trucks should visit the majority of locations in these areas, they can’t reach every single location. As with all projects like this, there are some limits, however it’s an interesting and intuitive idea and should produce some useful results when it comes to identifying those areas that are struggling with 4G connectivity. 

Ingenuitive 4G coverage mapping

Here at Geekabit, it’s no surprise that we’re excited to see how this project turns out and what takeaways it can have for other rural and remote areas in the UK. 

Will we start to see other similar projects popping up in other parts of the UK to map 4G coverage in hard to reach areas? We shall see! 

by admin
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Access Points AP Aruba Hardware Wi-Fi
Ruckus vs Aruba Wi-Fi

Which AP is best for your network – Ruckus or Aruba? 

With a wireless market saturated by Access Points and other Wi-Fi hardware, we don’t blame you for wondering which one would be best matched to your network. 

Generally, going for quality is a good place to start if you want your network to function well. There are of course many quality brands manufacturing Access Points, but for the purpose of this article we’re going to take a look at Ruckus and Aruba. Both of these brands have advantages and disadvantages – It’s just a case of comparing these characteristics with your network requirements and determining which would be the best match 

What are the main functions of and differences between Ruckus and Aruba?

Ruckus

Let’s start with Ruckus. Ruckus is developed for high density indoor environments, with Access Points that offer dual band Wi-Fi (meaning they can support both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands). Ruckus AP’s also have MU-MIMO (multiple user MIMO) capability, meaning they can transmit data to multiple devices simultaneously.

Network Management Options

Ruckus network environments can be managed by on-site or remote controllers for hardware, cloud, virtual, clustered or standalone. 

Network Security

Ruckus AP’s have Dynamic PSK™ Encryption KEy tEchnology. Dynamic pre-Shared Key (pSK) is a patented technology developed to provide robust and secure wireless access while eliminating the arduous task of manual configuration of end devices and the tedious management of encryption keys. You can read more about this on the Ruckus Networks data sheet here. 

Ruckus AP’s also support BYOD technology which is now prevalent across business networks (Bring Your Own Device – when employees use their own personal devices to connect to the organisation’s network and access what they need to do their jobs). 

Network Performance

Ruckus’ patent-pending SmartCast technology combines innovative multicast traffic handling techniques, smart QoS, and application-aware traffic classification capabilities, for top-quality Wi-Fi video transmissions for things like surveillance.

Ruckus also utilises BeamFlex, a combination of multiple high-gain polarized antenna elements and patented software algorithms that are combined in real time to offer an exponential increase in performance. 

Aruba

Aruba is developed for high density environments, with Access Points that offer dual band Wi-Fi (meaning they can support both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands like Ruckus). Aruba AP’s also have MU-MIMO (multiple user MIMO) capability, meaning they can also transmit data to multiple devices simultaneously.

Network Management Options

Aruba network environments can be managed via Cloud, Local or on-premises. 

Network Security

Aruba has the standard network security functions that can be expected for Wi-Fi hardware, such as VPN, Firewall, Unlimited intrusion prevention etc. 

Network Performance

Aruba uses Beam forming technology, With beamforming, the access point knows where a Wi-Fi device is located and sends the Wi-Fi signal specifically in that direction. The function thus provides fast, strong Wi-Fi signals and great coverage for each device.

Ruckus vs. Aruba – Let’s Compare

So now we know the general functions of both Ruckus and Aruba AP’s, let’s specifically look at how they compare to each other. 

Ruckus vs Aruba – Network Performance

Winner: Ruckus

In terms of Access Points, Ruckus Access Points have better optimal performance and higher network efficiency than that of Aruba. 

The reason for this lies in the AP’s Radio Frequency Technology. As mentioned above, Ruckus AP’s use BeamFlex technology. Standard Beamforming in 802.11ac (like what Aruba uses) is a radio based technology. BeamFlex is an antenna based technology that engages adaptive antennas. The difference between the two is that Ruckus uses beamforming (which is radio based) and combines it with adaptive antennas (BeamFlex which is antenna based) which therefore maximises the performance of the AP. 

Performance is optimised by increasing radio capacity and reducing co-channel interference which leads to the enjoyment of a seamless network. Not only that, but Ruckus can transmit IPTV (internet protocol television) for your multimedia applications. 

Ordinarily, Ruckus performs client load balancing, and it is equipped with airtime fairness to promote Wi-Fi to your slow device. In addition, it also has smart support for apps and frequency band control, allowing your dual-band device to connect to the 5 GHz frequency band to improve network efficiency. 

In comparison, Aruba uses traditional beamforming technology. This enables the AP to concentrate the signal on your device, which also provides a stable network.  

Ruckus vs Aruba – Network Security

Winner: Aruba

When it comes to a more secure network, Aruba has the edge over Ruckus.  

Aruba’s security protocol has been standardised through 802.11 I (IEEE 802.11i-2004, or 802.11i for short, is an amendment to the original IEEE 802.11, implemented as Wi-Fi Protected Access II (WPA2). It also provides a strong firewall in the Aruba mobile controller. 

Ruckus also has its good points when it comes to network security. Ruckus offers BYOD technology and DPSK patented technology (as explained above), which work together to ensure that your network has a subtle level of security.

Ruckus vs Aruba – Overall

Ruckus’ innovative and personalised antenna ray is used to extend the signal range and increase client data for  wireless video, voice and data technology. This eliminates Wi-Fi interference and ensure a reliable and strong Wi-Fi network for your smart Wi-Fi devices. 

You can find Ruckus AP’s on their website here. 

All of Aruba access points use AI-driven radio frequency optimization, intelligent management, dynamic segmentation, and intelligent operation of a wealth of users and applications. In addition, they have been optimised to support IoT devices running Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee and other third-party protocols.

You can find Aruba’s AC’s on their website here. 

So which is best for your network – Ruckus or Aruba? 

As we’ve outlined in this article, you can find unique features in both Ruckus and Aruba hardware that help to optimise performance. 

Both Ruckus and Aruba have unique features used for optimal performance. Overall, it would seem however that Ruckus can provide you with a more stable and faster network than Aruba. Ruckus maintains performance in high-density environments and offers patented technology to increase network performance.

Don’t forget that it comes down to your own network requirements as to which one you should go for. If you’re not sure, then reach out to the experts! 

Geekabit Wi-Fi Experts

Our expert Wi-Fi engineers are on hand to survey, design and deploy a Wi-Fi network to meet your business needs. 

Get in touch with our friendly team today here. 

by admin
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Antenna Antennas Beamforming Broadband Rural Broadband Satellite Broadband Satellite Internet SpaceX Starlink Wi-Fi
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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Aruba Business Wi-Fi Wi-Fi WLAN
Could Your Work-From-Anywhere Team Benefit from Aruba Wireless Hardware?

When it comes to wireless products, you’ll find it hard to beat Aruba with their comprehensive portfolio. But what is it about Aruba that’s ranking higher than even the likes of CISCO and other reputable wireless manufacturers on the market? With its advanced capabilities and ease of use, Aruba is dominating the wireless industry.

If you’re in charge of IT infrastructure for your organisation then we’d be surprised if you weren’t considering Aruba for your connectivity solutions. 

It’s a wireless world

We live in a wireless world. It doesn’t matter how small or large your business is or what industry sector you’re a part of – healthcare, financial, commercial – Nowadays we’re not restricted by physical boundaries in many jobs. As an organisation, it’s highly likely you need to provide your employees with the ability to access your network from any given device at any time. All whilst making sure your network is secure, that data is kept private and transfer speeds are quick. That’s no small order! But that’s the way business runs in this wireless world – Everyone expects wireless access anywhere and everywhere they go. 

Aruba offers an innovative wireless solution

The tech industry is synonymous with fast paced developments – People are always looking for the next best thing. Quicker, smaller, more powerful. But actually when it comes to networking, there’s been relatively little movement when it comes to innovation and technological advancements.

Enter Aruba and their wireless solution. Packed with innovation, with ways of handling:

  • Volumes
  • Reliability
  • Security
  • Scalability
  • Ease of management

Not only that, but it’s also backed up with expert support. We know what you’re thinking – That sounds like an IT team’s dream! 

How does Aruba compare with CISCO?

We mentioned CISCO briefly earlier and how industry experts are ranking elements of Aruba’s wireless offering higher than that of CISCO. 

Recent reviews via PeerSpot have rated Aruba as 4.0 out of 5 which is one of the highest in its field. This could be due to the fact it offers users a simple interface that they can easily interact with, not to mention their laser focus on wireless technology in general. 

Reviews overall seem to be showing that Aruba offers the same capabilities as CISCO, but at a lower cost. 

These wireless rivals are often pitted against one another as their solutions have very similar capabilities. 

Both Aruba and CISCO offer:

  • Solutions with user friendly set-up and configuration
  • 24/7 customer support options
  • Similar price points (with Aruba being slightly less expensive)

The main differences between the two come down to specific features and backend visibility for alert management. 

You may think that CISCO would have the edge as a well-known, reputable brand, but Aruba seems to rapidly be catching up in popularity. Their focus on wireless features that they’re bringing to the market is going down well with customers. 

Aruba customers believe they offer the best, most cost-effective wireless solution on the market. In addition to that, notable features seem to be:

  • A platform that provides the foundation for multiple levels of security 
  • Secure access for guests and IoT devices
  • Wayfinding
  • Location-based notifications
  • App consolidation
  • Asset tracking

Why is Aruba wireless rapidly growing in popularity? 

Let’s look at some in-depth reasons why Aruba is proving a popular choice among wireless customers. 

Aruba Puts Customers First

Aruba’s vice president of Portfolio Marketing, Lissa Hollinger says, “One of Aruba’s guiding principles is ‘customer first, customer last’.” 

Aruba are heavily customer centred when it comes to their ethos and approach to business. The root of product development focuses on solving the problems of their customers. They also offer lifetime warranty on some of their many products, as well as free on-call support. 

They even have an interactive, peer to peer community of Aruba users called Airheads Social, dedicated to sharing information and promoting technical discussions.

Aruba has Integrated Security with 360 Secure Fabric

IT networks are full of end users who constantly pop in and out on varying devices (not to mention IoT and cloud options). Unfortunately a mere firewall isn’t sufficient for protecting the perimeter on today’s network environments. This means a radical shift when it comes to network security. The key is integration. Aruba’s 360 Secure Fabric protects across all points in any environment – A real game changer.  

What are the components of Aruba’s 360 Secure Fabric?:

Aruba IntroSpect User and Entity Behavioral Analysis (UEBA) 

  • Provides visibility, monitoring, and attack detection. 
  • Automates threat detection and analysis by providing a consolidated view of security activities in a list format, prioritised using a 0 to 100 risk score. 
  • This type of insight allows IT leaders to review information and make decisions quickly, without using time and resources to collect activity information and evaluate its potential risk.

Aruba ClearPass 

  • Handles authentication through its network access control (NAC) and policy management solution
  • Syncs up with UEBA to automate threat responses
  • Aruba ClearPass is key to the Bring-Your-Own-Device culture many businesses operate within today by simplifying the creation of a safe connection to personal devices with customised access control to identify, enforce, and protect access privileges, regardless of the user’s location

Security is at the forefront of Aruba’s wireless design with IntroSpect and ClearPass working together.

Guest Access Control is Strong and Scalable with Aruba 

One of the top requirements of wireless infrastructure is guest access – Think customers and contractors. Organisations can combine enterprise-grade security and automated registration with Aruba ClearPass Guest, giving visitors secure access to your wired and wireless networks. 

ClearPass also detects anomalies and, if possible, deals with them automatically whilst creating alerts and making you aware of any breaches. 

This allows you to expand your user experience, without the risk of a multi-month breach to go undetected. 

Security Across Devices

There are currently over 15 billion IoT devices. Any connected devices have the potential to become an entry point for a breach. This is when ClearPass becomes integral to IoT devices, providing maximum protection through 4 categories of defence:

  • Visibility is created with orchestrated discovery
  • Access privileges must conform to context-based rules
  • Enforcement is enterprise-wide across wired, Wi-Fi, and VPN
  • Automated end-to-end workflows ensure situationally-aware security

AP’s and Remote Access Points (RAPs) from Aruba 

For small and medium sized businesses, Aruba Access Points expand Wi-Fi coverage and enable enterprise level networking at a manageable cost. 

The user experience is enhanced through Aruba Instant On Access Points by strengthening Wi-Fi coverage and increasing the number of devices a network can support at once. 

Aruba’s Remote Access Points (RAPs) take this a step further and allow your work-from-anywhere team to continue to work without issue. Employees can connect to your secure wireless network, regardless of their location or device with Aruba RAPs. The prevalence of remote working might have sharply increased over Covid, but having proved that many employees can indeed get the work done from almost anywhere, it’s extremely useful to be able to give verified users appropriate access and a reliable connection no matter where they are working from. 

Aruba Airwave Provides Integrated Network Management 

Multi vendor environments can benefit from integrated IT operations management tools through Aruba Airwave.  You can mange wired and wireless networks with its unified network management, with step-by-step workflows and streamlined automation capabilities. It also provides granular visibility into devices, users, and applications on the network. Aruba Airwave offers real-time monitoring and control, with detailed health and analytics dashboards.

Edge Services Platform from Aruba Gives Scalability and Security 

Aruba Edge Services Platform (ESP):

  • Identifies issues at network edges
  • Uses AI to resolve many issues before they become problems 
  • Introduces next-level networking, letting internal teams focus their attention elsewhere while enhancing network security
  • Secures the network edge to provide a highly scalable cloud-native platform

End User Satisfaction with Wayfinding and Asset Tracking

There is some serious scope for what these capabilities could offer your business. 

Aruba wayfinding includes the foundation to build location-based services on top of the network infrastructure. Aruba Meridian is a cloud-based, software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution featuring wayfinding, proximity-based notifications, and digital asset tracking, giving you the ability to evolve the service you offer. 

Picture the likes of university campuses, stadiums, airports, warehouses, retail etc – All sorts of new services could be customised for these places with this flexible platform’s tools. 

The ability to track assets (for example, shipments) can save your business both time and money as well as increasing productivity. 

How could these capabilities benefit your business?

Accommodate Any Need with Breadth and Functionality

Aruba Networks, now known as HPE Aruba Networking, is a subsidiary of Hewlett-Packard Enterprise. This means you don’t just get the security and networking range of products and IT solutions, but also other products for which HPE is known, including WLAN, routers and switches. These are often high-quality and lower priced. 

You’ll likely find a complete, end-to-end package to fit your business needs – Who doesn’t love a one-stop-shop?

Could Aruba Wireless Hardware Benefit Your Business?

This list is not exhaustive – There are many other reasons why Aruba is leading in the wireless industry. If you’re intrigued by what Aruba offers and want to see how your business could benefit from the capabilities offered, then get in touch with our Wi-Fi experts today. Our professional wireless engineers can help ascertain how Aruba can help you meet your wireless connectivity goals. Give us a call or drop us an email and let’s get started. 

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Broadband Rural Broadband Satellite Broadband Satellite Internet SpaceX Starlink Wi-Fi
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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Event Internet Event Wi-Fi Satellite Broadband Satellite Internet Starlink Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Hire for Events
Fast Wi-Fi Hire for Events with Starlink

Here at Geekabit we’ve been very busy behind the scenes recently, working at a number of high profile events testing out our new Wi-Fi hire service. 

Our test events included supporting policing events in London, hybrid meetings, rural wedding fairs and a fireworks fundraising event. 

Following the successful deployment of our Wi-Fi hire offering at these events, we are very pleased to announce the launch of our new Wi-Fi Hire for Events, powered by Starlink. 

Are you looking for Wi-Fi hire for your next event?

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.

Whatever the event, wherever it is*

Perhaps you’re running a hybrid Zoom meeting in a rural area, a festival with hundreds of traders requiring card payments, or running an event requiring media Wi-Fi facilities.

Whatever the event and no matter how rural, here at Geekabit our expert Wi-Fi engineers can build you the perfect temporary Wi-Fi network “in the field” for whatever you need the internet for.

This could be for a one-day event, or for an event running over several weeks.

Whilst it is perfect for areas where there is little mobile data connectivity, we can also provide backup 4G/5G service for resiliency and the perfect connection.

Improve reliability with back-haul solutions

You might be thinking that you’ve got pretty good Wi-Fi at your venue most of the time, but even if you have the perfect network and Wi-Fi setup, sometimes a specific event needs multiple back-haul solutions to improve the reliability of the connectivity. Starlink satellite broadband deployed by Geekabit would be the perfect solution.

Starlink Hire from Geekabit

We are thrilled to launch this new Wi-Fi Hire for Events service, powered by Starlink and deployed by Geekabit Wi-Fi engineers. 

*We will happily quote for Starlink Hire in London, Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, Sussex and the Isle of Wight.

We’re excited to see what this new Wi-Fi hire service can do for our clients. Get in touch today if you’re interested in hiring Starlink and securing reliable Wi-Fi for your next event. 

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Low LAtency mmWave UHR Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi 8
WiFi 8: What is it, What’s the Spec and When Will it Be Released?

As a society we’re always keen to get our hands on the latest technology – But no sooner as it’s in our hands, thoughts are already turning to what’s next. 

You might have barely got to grips with Wi-Fi 6, but with 233 million Wi-Fi 7 devices estimated to enter the market this year, is it any wonder we’re already looking ahead to Wi-Fi 8?

What is Wi-Fi 8?

Simply put, it’s the next generation of Wi-Fi and will be successor to the Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be) standard. 

As with previous Wi-Fi standard successions, the aim of Wi-Fi 8 will be to improve wireless performance as well as introduce new and innovative features to advance Wi-Fi technology further. 

Generally this means that in comparison to previous standards, the new one will offer:

  • Faster speeds
  • Lower latency
  • Better performance 

What’s the spec for Wi-Fi 8?

We don’t actually know the specifications of Wi-Fi 8 yet as the details haven’t been officially released. 

But would it even be a technological advancement if there wasn’t speculation on the specifications? 

We are expecting the technical details for Wi-Fi 8 to be finalised and released imminently.

What can we expect from Wi-Fi 8?

Over the years we’ve seen a steady evolution of Wi-Fi standards, with each one playing its own vital role in providing our indoor and outdoor environments with seamless wireless connectivity. 

As the Internet of Things has also evolved over time, each standard has of course had its inadequacies, with a constant push for better. 

So what will the upcoming Wi-Fi 8 standard offer to help with the current connectivity challenges we’ve been facing? 

Wi-Fi 8 is expected to offer us a range of powerful new features and capabilities, designed to provide high-reliability, ultra low latency and support for extremely high node density.

A few of the major features we’re expecting from Wi-Fi 8 are:

  • Multiple Access Point Coordination and Transmission
  • Millimeter Wave (mmWave) Frequencies
  • Low Latency

So let’s take a little look at each of these major Wi-Fi 8 features and what they mean. 

What is Multiple Access Point (AP) Coordination and Transmission for Wi-Fi 8?

When a network has multiple access points deployed, e.g. in buildings and office complexes, they operate on the same radio frequency. This can cause interference and the degradation of network performance. To help alleviate this, the transmissions of the access points can be configured to avoid overlapping channels and coordinated accordingly.

Multiple Access Point (AP) coordination and transmission in Wi-Fi refers to the management of multiple access points in a wireless network to avoid interference and ensure efficient communication between the client devices and the network. 

We can ensure that transmissions do not interfere with each other by using coordination techniques for Access Points. This could look like: 

  • Channel Allocation: Interference can be minimised by configuring Access points to use non-overlapping channels. This can be done manually or automatically using techniques such as Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS).
  • Power Management: Interference can be avoided by configuring Access points to adjust their transmission power based on their proximity to other access points.
  • Load Balancing: Network loads can be balanced through configuring Access points by directing clients to connect to the least congested access point.

How can Millimetre Wave Links improve Wi-Fi 8?

Improvements in Wi-Fi 8 can be made using mmWave by providing access to a larger spectrum of frequencies. This in turn allows for higher bandwidth and data rates. 

By using mmWave, Wi-Fi 8 can support data rates of up to 100 Gbps. What would this be useful for? This feature would be perfect for things like 4K and 8K video streaming as well as virtual and augmented reality. Other high-bandwidth and low-latency applications like these would also benefit. 

Performance improvements will also be seen in environments with high node density with mmWave technology. Places like stadiums and concert halls will benefit from better coverage with Wi-Fi 8 as well as the reduction of interference between devices.  

Information on a Project Authorisation Request document suggests that Ultra High Reliability technology will be a key part of Wi-Fi 8. It looks like it will be capable of support carrier frequencies in the mmWave bands between 42.5 and 71 GHz and achieving an aggregate throughput of 100 Gbps. 

In comparison to Wi-Fi 7, it’s expected that UHR will offer improvements in maximum latency and jitter for latency-sensitive applications, especially those in the 99 to 99.9999th percentile range. 

Wi-Fi 8 and Low Latency

Why is low latency so important? In this day and age, our modern industries rely on Wi-Fi in many industrial applications, e.g. real-time control systems, remote monitoring, robotic automation. Without fast and reliable communication between devices, the performance of these applications would degrade and cause big problems. 

Even the smallest of delays in data transmission can cause significant errors or delays further down the system, affecting response time as well as negatively impacting production processes and potentially even causing safety issues. 

The amount of data generated and transmitted over Wi-Fi networks is increasing rapidly as more industrial applications adopt the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and other advanced technologies. 

In order for this data to be transmitted accurately and quickly, it’s crucial that there is low latency to reduce delays and bottlenecks. 

Previously, a latency of under 25 ms was achieved with Wi-Fi 7, using Restricted Target Wake Time (R-TWT), Stream Classification Service (SCS) and Quality of Service (QoS) signalling. However, this standard falls short of the current demands of industrial applications which need latencies of less than a few milliseconds. 

Thankfully, the Wi-Fi world is expecting UHR to enhance and improve things in this area by minimising the maximum latency of Wi-Fi. 

When will we be using Wi-Fi 8?

It’s estimated and expected that Wi-Fi 8 could become a market reality in 2027/2028. 

Watch this space! 

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IoT Devices Mobile Broadband Mobile COnnectivity Mobile Network Network RSRP RSSI Teltonika Wi-Fi Wireless Network
Teltonika Network Setup – What is RSSI and RSRP? 

Enable yourself to get better understanding and control of your Teltonika networking solution’s performance with wireless connection support display RSSI and RSRP signal strength. 

Familiarising yourself with RSSI and RSRP metrics wireless network support will help to enhance your Teltonika Networks next steps. 

Wireless Networks are the preferred choice for IoT connectivity

When it comes to IoT (internet of things) applications, wired connections once held dominance. But it is becoming increasingly evident that the preferred choice for IoT connectivity is wireless networking. 

The wireless connectivity market is expected to continue to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 12.8% in the next 3 years, solidifying the trend of networking solutions becoming increasingly dependent on Wi-Fi or mobile networks. 

Due to the versatility and convenience offered by wireless connectivity, this doesn’t come as much of a surprise. 

Without the limitations of wiring, network devices can be configured, monitored and managed remotely – Even if they’re in a different city, country or continent. 

The benefits of using a wireless connection are indisputable.

What are the primary connectivity options? 

There are 2 primary choices when it comes to wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi and mobile technology. 

Wi-Fi 

  • Operates on the IEEE 802.11 standard
  • Supports multiple protocols including 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n and 802.11ac (determining the connection’s speed and range)

Mobile Technologies

  • Have evolved from 3G to 4G to 5G
  • Each defines the connection’s speed and capacity available to users and end devices

RSSI and RSRP

Whether your network device operates on Wi-Fi or mobile technologies, if you’re checking out your network then you’ll likely come across RSSI and RSRP metrics. These metrics are vital for displaying the strength and power of your connection. 

What is RSSI, what does it do and how is it measured? 

  • RSSI stands for Received Signal Strength Indicator. 
  • At the moment radio frequency power and quality reaches the receiver, it’s measured by RSSI. For example, a network device or antenna. 
  • RSSI can be used to gauge the strength of the signal in any wireless system, it’s not exclusive to any one type of wireless technology. 
  • Whether you’re using Wi-Fi or mobile technologies, RSSI can provide signal strength data across different types of radio frequency communications. 
  • This means that RSSI can be a good indicator of whether your network devices have robust connectivity.
  • RSSI signal strength is measured in negative values, with stronger, higher quality signal values being closest to zero.
  • NOTE: RSSI values are not standardised across industries, so bear this in mind when interpreting network data for devices manufactured by different companies. 

What is RSRP? 

  • RSRP stands for Reference Signal Received Power and is measured in negative values.
  • RSRP is particularly relevant for mobile technology network solutions like 4G and 5G.
  • It is a type of RSSI measurement, but used to measure the power of mobile signals spread over full bandwidth and narrowband.
  • RSRP measurements can help you to see your network’s overall signal coverage and capacity across all frequencies used for your networking solutions by measuring across the full bandwidth.
  • The quality of your connection in specific frequency ranges can be assessed by measuring RSRP over a narrowband. This can be used to troubleshoot specific issues that could affect signal quality as well as optimising network performance.
  • By using the RSRP signal strength, you can determine a more precise measurement of the cellular connectivity that your network receiver obtains. Having this information can enable you to make informed decision about your network infrastructure as well as Quality of Service Assessments and further improvements.
  • NOTE: Just as with RSSI, the RSRP signal strength can differ by manufacturer.

Your Teltonika Network

Both RSSI and RSRP signal strength indicators are displayed for Teltonika Network devices enabled with Wi-Fi or mobile connectivity devices.

The display of these metrics can be accessed via RutOS. The latest 7.06 version of RutOS has enhanced data visualisation capabilities for mobile connections.

For help with your Teltonika Network, get in touch with our Wi-Fi experts today. Our professional wireless network engineers can help with both Wi-Fi networks and mobile connectivity. 

We can also help with alternative networks other than Teltonika. 

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