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How Do I Choose a 4G/ 5G External Broadband Antenna?

Wi-Fi has quickly become something we expect to have available (basically at all times). We rely on Wi-Fi for so many things, both at work and in our homes. From Smart Home devices, to connecting via our phones, tablets, laptops and gaming systems – We need our Wi-Fi to be fast, dependable and strong. And boy do we notice when it’s not. Signal dropping out, buffering, dead spots – It all gets very frustrating when Wi-Fi isn’t working. 

The vast majority of UK premises are lucky enough to connect to superfast broadband through a wired connection, but there are also many rural homes that cannot access and connect to broadband or internet in this same straightforward way. 

Here at Geekabit, our team of Wi-Fi engineers work with lots of businesses who struggle with the more traditional ways of connecting to the internet. And what do they do? They turn to mobile broadband through 4G and 5G. 

And thankfully, there are many rural business premises within range of a strong enough UK mobile broadband network.

Can’t connect to superfast broadband? An external antenna could be the solution

Unfortunately, despite access to mobile broadband being available to many rural businesses, a stable connection to it isn’t always a given. If you are one of the more remote rural businesses that find themselves struggling to connect to mobile broadband and are:

– Unable to connect to a decent fixed line ISP 

– Within range of a mobile broadband alternative but find it unstable on various operators

Then you might find it beneficial to get an external antenna installed. But which one do you need? 

Can I install an External Mobile Broadband Antenna myself? 

In terms of actually installing an external antenna, it’s actually pretty straightforward. All you need to do is choose a high, stable location on the outside wall of your house near the roof, and screw the antenna on. Remember to make sure it’s pointing in the right direction (ie. towards the nearest mast). 

You might also choose to mount your antenna on a pole to raise it higher than your house. If you’re going for this option, always make sure that it is stable and won’t cause any damage to the building you are mounting it to. It’s also worth liaising with your local authority before installing a large pole as in some areas, a tall pole could be in breach of planning rules. 

You will also need to drill the cable into the house – It’s very important to avoid any other electrical cables and water pipes whilst you are doing this as well as sealing up the holes afterwards. 

It’s also pretty important to keep the position of your router in mind. Will it be placed near the where the cable feeds into the building? Ideally, the cable between your antenna and router needs to be 5 metres or less otherwise you could find yourself struggling with interference and/ or signal loss. 

If that all feels a little daunting then you can hire a professional installer to do the job for you – Our expert Wi-Fi engineers here at Geekabit can do just this! We operate out of Hampshire, London and Cardiff.  

Whilst the physical aspects of installing an external antenna are quite straightforward, it’s not always easy to choose the right kit. The radio spectrum is variable by nature, which makes it very dependent on your environment. You might manage to install the antenna but not get the outcome you were expecting. 

What antenna you need depends on your specific location and needs. This blog will outline some of the options that could be right for you. Sometimes it’s a case of trial and error to find the right antenna for you – But that’s where it might be best to leave it in expert hands. 

Do I need an Omni-directional or Directional antenna?

When it comes to installing an external antenna, the first thing you need to decide is whether you need an Omni-directional antenna or a Directional antenna. 

Choosing a Directional antenna

If you know where your nearest mast is and have a clear line of sight, then the Directional antenna might be the one for you. Whilst it’s weaker in other directions, the Directional antenna will have higher reception in one direction, hence why it works well for a clear line of sight with the mast or base station. This is often the better choice if you live or work in a rural area. 

What problems can you have with a Directional antenna? 

Using a Directional antenna can run into issues if the station is congested or goes out of service. E.g. during upgrades. 

Choosing an Omni-directional antenna

If you live or work in a more urban, built up area and aren’t sure where the nearest mast is then an Omni-directional antenna could be the better option for you. Whilst they have a lower overall gain, they are able to attract similar reception from all directions. Because the Omni is looking at a wider area, you may find that it provides better reliability. 

Generally, if you are finding and installing an external antenna yourself, then the Omni-directional antenna is probably the one to try first. 

What problems can you have with an Omni-directional antenna? 

It’s possible that because it’s looking at a wider area, the Omni could attract more interference. If you are able to utilise a well positional Directional antenna then you could get better performance that way. 

How much power does my external antenna need?

So you’ve decided whether you need an Omni-directional or Directional antenna. What do you need to consider next? 

You’ll notice that antennas have gain figures in dB / dBi – This is how the power of the antenna is measured. 

In simple terms, the gain of an antenna is the relative measure of its ability to direct radio frequency energy in a certain direction or pattern. What do the gain (dB / dBi) figures on an antenna mean?

We could go into a lot of complicated detail here, but seeing as we’re writing this blog for someone looking to buy and install their own external antenna, we’ll keep it super simple. 

Basically, the higher the gain (dB / dBi) the better the antenna’s performance and range. Obviously, the higher the gain, the more expensive the antenna will cost. 

When you are at this stage of choosing your antenna, it is worth knowing what bands your mobile operator uses so that you can ensure how the different gain values given for an antenna correspond to the spectrum band you will be using. 

Choosing an external antenna – What are the challenges?

As we said above, when you are installing a new external antenna, it’s really important to know:

  • Where and which direction the signal is coming from 
  • How strong the signal is
  • Which bands are being used in your local area by local operators

These are some of the biggest challenges you’ll face when installing your antenna. 

How can I find out the spectrum information I need to choose an antenna?

If you go online to mobile operator’s websites you can find coverage checkers (Vodafone, Three UK, O2 and EE (BT)), but these can be rather vague and not always accurate. It’s worth comparing to what Ofcoms Mobile Coverage Checker says too.

Perhaps the best way to identify which bands are being used by your local operator is to download a relevant app or look up the mobile network details on your Smartphone or router. 

These apps will often just tell you the band number for your own operator rather than tell you the spectrum frequency. You’ll find that operators tend to own several bands, but usually use one band for national connectivity. 

What are the most common 4G Mobile Bands in the UK?

800MHz (Band 20)

900MHz (Band 8)

1800MHz (Band 3)

2100MHz (Band 1)

2300MHz (Band 40)

2600MHz (Band 7)

Remember that 5G uses a different band model and is currently only deployed on the 3.4GHz band. 

How do I know where my nearest mast is for installing my new antenna?

So you’ve made sense of the bands on offer in your area from local operators. Next you need to work out where your nearest mast is and whether it’s the most appropriate for your location. Unfortunately it’s not always the option that looks most logical! 

When you’re choosing the most appropriate mast for your use, you need to consider the following:

  • Forms and features of local land surfaces (artificial and natural)
  • Local surroundings
  • Operator choice

There are apps and websites that can help with this such as Mastdata.com and Cellmapper.net. The Opensignal app could also be of use.

Did you know that operators also have sharing agreements with each other? Just to make things a little more complicated. For example, there is a sharing agreement between Vodafone and O2 as well as between EE and Three. What does this mean? Well it means that a mast could be serving more than one operator. 

How do I use signal strength information to position my external antenna?’ 

If you are able to gain an understanding of signal strength in a few different measurements, then you are more likely to position your antenna correctly. 

Signal strength is measured in quite a few different ways, so we’re going to just focus on a few that you are most likely to encounter. These are:

  • Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI)
  • Reference Signals Received Power (RSRP)
  • Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ)

These measurements are given by a negative dBm (decibel milliWatts) value. In this situation, negative values are actually good (most of the time). They are negative because they represent tiny yet positive numbers on a logarithmic scale, making them easier to consume. For example, -100dBm would be 0.0000000001 mW.

What is a good RSSI signal? Essentially, the closer to 0 dBm, the better the RSSI signal (although it does get more complicated past a certain point with diminishing returns of data speed). An example of excellent 4G RSSI signal would be -65 dBm. A poor RSSI signal would be -85 dBm. 

RSRP works on a similar scale to RSSI, where an excellent 4G RSRP signal would be -80 dBm.  

RSRQ operates on a very different scale, which means that an excellent signal is anything from around -10 dB (not dBm) and a poor signal would be -20 db.

Interestingly, most mobile modems are able to maintain a pretty fast data connection using a poor signal. Problems may arise however in more rural areas where speeds are slower and stability poorer due to the distance from a mast. 

What factors are most likely to affect signal strength? 

  • Distance to mast
  • Interference from competing signals
  • Router band switching
  • Physical obstacles in the environment like buildings, tall trees etc
  • The weather

Of course, these factors are not in your control, but you need to bear them in mind when positioning your antenna in order to get the best signal possible. 

Feeling confident about choosing and installing your external antenna?

If you are about to choose and install an external antenna to improve your 4G or 5G mobile broadband signal, then hopefully this blog has given you some of the basic information you need to make your decisions. 

If you’re still feeling a bit daunted, then why not get in touch with one of our Wi-Fi experts? We install mobile broadband for clients in and around Hampshire, Cardiff and London and can help identify which antenna solution would best suit your needs. Get in touch today! 

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What is a Campus Area Network and Does Your Site Need One?

A Campus Area Network, or CAN, is a specifically designed network meant to meet the connectivity needs of a large area, for example a college or university, a hospital complex or a corporate campus. The CAN provides seamless internet and intranet access by connecting multiple buildings across an extensive area. A CAN covers a much larger area than a standard LAN (Local Area NEtwork). 

Why a CAN? This type of network provides a strong, reliable solution for all sorts of organisations that are spread across multiple buildings and/or campuses, providing consistent connectivity for users throughout.  

What is the range and scope of a Campus Network? 

In most circumstances, a CAN will cover a limited geographical area without exceeding the boundary of the campus it is serving. 

They are ideal for meeting diverse needs across an organisation and can enable the integration of various technologies, e.g.

  • Wi-Fi
  • Fibre optics
  • Ethernet

Internet opens up a wide scope of services across a campus, linking departments, and users via

  • VoIP
  • Video conferencing
  • Secure data transfer

Do I need a LAN, WAN or CAN? 

LAN – A Local Area Network is confined to a smaller area, for example, one singular building. An office building might use a LAN to connect its users. 

CAN – As above, a Campus Area Network covers a larger area than a LAN, encompassing multiple buildings across a campus type site. 

WAN – A Wide Area Network covers much more extensive areas; Think entire cities or even countries. 

A CAN is the happy medium for a campus type site; Larger coverage than a LAN but less extensive than a WAN. 

What are the main parts of a Campus Network? 

The infrastructure of a CAN is what is at the heart of the network. The infrastructure of a Campus Network needs:

  • Networking hardware e.g. routers, switches, firewalls
  • Connectivity means ie. Fibre optic cables, ethernet cables, wireless connections
  • Strategically placed Access Points to provide wide coverage 
  • Network services e.g. DHCP servers for dynamic IP address allocation and DNS servers for resolving network names 

How do I choose the right cable and router configurations for Campus Network Connectivity?

If you want a high-performing Campus Network then selecting the appropriate cables and routers is crucial. So what factors will you need to consider?

  • Cable Type: Assess the merits of fibre optic vs. Ethernet cables based on the bandwidth needs of the network and campus layout.
  • Router Capabilities: Male sure that routers can handle the expected network load and offer advanced features like Quality of Service (QoS) management.

Campus Network: Do I need Fibre Optic Cables or Ethernet cabling? 

When choosing between Fibre Optic cables and Ethernet cables, there are several factors to consider. 

  • Bandwidth Requirements: Optical fibre typically offers higher bandwidth than Ethernet.
  • Distance Considerations: Fibre optic cables are better suited for longer distances without signal degradation.
  • Cost Implications: Ethernet might be more cost-effective for smaller networks or shorter distances.

A Campus Area Network Needs a Backbone Network 

Think of the backbone of a Campus Network as the primary pathway for data traffic. This is the main component of the whole network, connecting various subnetworks across the campus. 

The CAN backbone is designed to handle high volumes of data traffic with fast and reliable data transfer across the whole Campus Network. It holds up all the daily digital interactions, connecting all users across various buildings to each other as well as vital resources. 

What are the key network design strategies for optimal Campus Network performance?

There are several key strategies that can be used when designing a successful Campus Network, whether it’s a university, hospital or corporate campus. 

Scalability

In order to be and stay successful, the network needs to be scalable. This means the CAN must be able to accommodate growing numbers of users and evolving technological needs. Technology and needs change all the time, and the CAN needs to be able to keep up. 

Reliability

It goes without saying that a Campus Network needs to be reliable. Any downtime needs to be minimal, and any outages need to be rectified and recovered from swiftly. 

Security

If users across a Campus Network are sharing data then it needs to be secure. Think sensitive academic or patient data. This data needs to be protected whilst still allowing necessary access. 

Management of Bandwidth

The network load needs to be balanced and congestion minimised, particularly during peak times of usage. 

CAN Infrastructure Design

The key to designing the optimal Campus Area Network infrastructure is to balance current needs with future growth. You’ll need to know:

  • Campus layout
  • User demands
  • Technological advancements 

You want a CAN that is not only strong and reliable, but able to adapt and evolve to future trends and needs. 

Key Considerations: 

There are several key factors to consider when planning a Campus Area Network

  • User Density and Distribution: Assess and identify the number of users and their distribution across the campus to ensure network capacity meets demand.
  • Application Requirements: What types of applications will the network need to support? Will they be data-intensive research applications or general administrative tasks?
  • Future-Proofing: Plan for future expansions and technological upgrades.
  • Budget Constraints: Balance the best possible network design with available financial resources.

Campus Networks and High-Speed Networking

Regardless of where users are located, the expectation of high-speed networking is not a luxury but an expectation. The modern academic, medical and corporate environment requires high-speed networking with an increased need for digital tools, remote working and online resources. 

We live in a fast-paced, technology driven world and academic, medical and corporate spaces reflect that. 

Provide a Flexible Campus Network with Wireless Solutions 

Corporate, medical and academic environments increasingly require an agile campus space where the network can adapt to evolving connectivity needs. 

Whether it’s students and lecturers, doctors and patients, or varying levels of corporate employees – Users need to be able to access the network from anywhere on the campus, indoors or outdoors.  

Provide Consistent Coverage Across Campus With Strategic Wi-Fi AP Deployment  

If you want your Campus to have comprehensive coverage, then you need to be deploying your wireless Access Points strategically. 

Things to consider:

  • Placing APs in high-traffic areas
  • Ensuring no dead zones where connectivity drops out 
  • Distribution of APs to balance the network load and cater to varying user densities
  • Using MU-MIMO so that several devices can connect without waiting 

Should a Campus Network be Wireless or Wired? 

There are of course pros and cons to both and it’s about getting the balance right between flexibility and ease of access (wireless) without compromising reliability and speed (wired). 

Wireless:

  • Flexible and easy to access
  • Can be more susceptible to security challenges and interference

Wired:

  • Reliable and fast 
  • Require physical infrastructure which can limit adaptability and mobility 

The best Campus Network will have a good blend of both Wireless and Wired elements, using the strengths of both to provide users with a strong, flexible and reliable network. 

Mobile Access on Campus Networks with Wireless Solutions

Having a Campus Network with mobile access is very much a necessity rather than a convenience. With the prevalence of smartphones, tablets and laptops among users, a CAN will require Wireless network solutions to cater for these needs with a mobile-first approach. 

This doesn’t just mean that users can easily connect via these devices anywhere on campus, but that various portals and platforms are accessible and user-friendly on all types of mobile devices. 

Ensuring a Campus Network is Secure

As with all networks, security is a top concern for Campus Networks too. Whether it’s sensitive academic data, patient data or employee data, all types of personal information require robust security protocols. 

This includes:

  • Authentication methods
  • Encryption
  • Regular network monitoring
  • Proactive threat detection measure

The aim of a secure Campus Network is to protect against cyber threats and build trust among the users.

Campus Networks in Action: Practical Use Case in Education 

The use of Campus Area Networks (CANs) enables modern education and research. We can see the practical use cases of CANs in educational settings through:

  • Streamlined Administrative Operations: Automating processes like enrollment, scheduling, and student record management.
  • Enhanced E-Learning: Supporting online courses, digital libraries, and virtual classrooms.
  • Campus Safety: Integrating surveillance systems and emergency communication networks.

In a University setting, CANs facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration by connecting different faculties and research centres.

CANs empower and enhance collaboration between organisations and institutions via educational and corporate campuses by facilitating the engagement of innovative collaborations. Campus Networks enable video conferencing and remote collaboration tools, which in turn allows for joint ventures between institutions located in different parts of the world. The scope of this global connectivity broadens academic and professional partnerships.

In corporate campuses, Campus Networks streamline communication and data sharing by linking various departments and data centres. A Campus Network setup enhances efficiency and fosters innovation on any and all types of campus.

Transform Campus Environments with Campus Area Networks

CANs can be pivotal in transforming educational, medical and corporate campus environments into dynamic, interactive, and interconnected spaces. 

In this fast-paced, technological driven world, a Campus Network facilitates more collaborative and tech-driven approaches. 

Research and Development: How can a Campus Network Help?

Whether it’s in an academic environment, on a medical site or a corporate campus, all types of research and development across institutions require high-speed data transfer for inter-faculty/ department collaboration. 

In this way, CANs support advanced research activities requiring large bandwidth and specialised network capabilities. 

A Robust Campus Network and Resource Sharing

We live in a very data-driven world, which is why a Campus Network provides a key advantage – The ability to share large files and resources quickly and reliably. 

This is essential when a campus needs to share a high-definition video, large research datasets or extensive digital libraries. 

Providing a strong, reliable Campus Network means that these large files can be shared and transferred without causing problems to network performance. 

The Monitoring and Maintenance of CAN Infrastructure

If you want longevity and efficiency for your Campus Network, then ongoing monitoring and maintenance is critical. 

Ensure consistent connectivity and prevent network failures with:

  • Regular performance checks
  • Timely updates
  • Proactive troubleshooting 
  • Training staff to manage and maintain the network effectively

Careful consideration is needed when designing an optimal Campus Area Network infrastructure. You need to think about various factors including:

  • User needs
  • Technological advancements
  • Scalability
  • Security
  • Budget

Academic, medical and corporate campuses can establish strong, efficient network infrastructure tailored to their unique needs by making informed choices about cable and router configurations, and prioritising regular monitoring and maintenance.  

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Broadband Rural Broadband Satellite Broadband Satellite Internet SpaceX Starlink Starlink Mini Uncategorised
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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5G 5G Mobile Broadband AI Broadband Cyber Security Digital Infrastructure Labour Manifesto Tech Innovation Tech Regulation
Tech Labour Manifesto Pledges: 5G, Broadband, AI and More

On the 4th July we saw the Labour party secure a landslide victory in the election, with Sir Keir Starmer becoming our new Prime Minister.

With the recent Microsoft problems that saw the UK digital world crash rather spectacularly,  we thought we’d take a little look at the top 5 tech policies promised by the Labour Party in its manifesto, including Digital Infrastructure, Broadband & 5G, AI Regulation & Investment, Cyber Security and Tech Innovation. 

Labour Manifesto and Digital Infrastructure

  • Digital Infrastructure will be given a boost by developing a 10-year infrastructure strategy. This will benefit mobile and broadband networks, AI, and data centres.
  • Approval processes will be streamlined for nationally important designated projects and data centres by easing planning restrictions. 
  • Restarting the economy with a new industrial strategy, designed to supercharge the tech and digital sectors. 
  • Overcome previous planning blocks by supporting the construction of data centres on brownfield sites.

Plans for Broadband and 5G in the Labour Manifesto

  • Target ambition of having national 5G coverage and full gigabit accessibility by 2030 to have a renewed push. 
  • Encourage cooperative building between networks and greater infrastructure sharing by working alongside Ofcom. 
  • Continue to support the last governments Project Gigabit broadband roll-out program.
  • In addition to the above, address the slow roll-out of gigabit broadband under the Conservative government.

Regulation and Investment for AI

  • Labour plans to introduce binding regulations on companies developing powerful AI models and give the AI Safety Institute statutory footing.
  • The creation of sexually explicit deep fakes will be banned and safe AI development will be ensured through comprehensive legislation.
  • They will use the industrial strategy to support the development of the AI sector.
  • New laws will be introduced to regulate AI companies, ensuring ethical AI practices.

What Has Labour Got Planned for Cyber Security

  • Labour will address cyber attacks and misinformation campaigns by conducting a Strategic Defence Review within the first year.
  • Policing techniques will be modernised by integrating new technologies into law enforcement to keep pace with modern threats
  • Critical infrastructure will be protected by developing a comprehensive cyber defence strategy.
  • Labour is committed to ensuring the UK is fully prepared to deal with hybrid warfare, including cyber-attacks.

Tech Innovation and Regulation with the Labour Party in Power

  • In order to help regulators update regulations and speed up approval timelines for new technologies, a new Regulatory Innovation Office will be created. 
  • In order to help harness new technologies and advise businesses, an Industrial Strategy Council will be set up.  
  • The construction of laboratories, digital infrastructure, and giga-factories will be facilitated by modernising national planning policy. 
  • Barriers to growth will be removed and opportunities seized by working in partnership with industry. 

What’s Next?

We’ve seen first hand over the past few days how important digital infrastructure is and how much we all rely on it to go about our daily lives – From paying for groceries, to travelling, to simply trying to log on to be able to start a days work. It’s likely you’ve been affected some way or another by the most recent Microsoft outage. And whilst that was supposedly down to an operating system crash, it’s clear Labour need to follow the tech pledges they have made in their manifesto and commit to following through with those promises. 

Here at Geekabit we’re most interested in connectivity and keeping up to date with how we can help businesses and large private residences stay reliably connected – Whether they’re based in the city or in a more rural, remote location. Will we see national 5G coverage and full gigabit accessibility by 2030? We’ll have to wait and see. 

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Broadband Fibre Broadband FTTP Full Fibre Wi-Fi
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. 

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4G 4G Mobile Broadband 5G 5G Mobile Broadband London Underground Transport for London
4G Available in All Elizabeth Line Underground Stations and Trains

Exciting news if you commute into and around London – The roll-out of 4G mobile coverage has recently been completed at Paddington, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf and Woolwich stations as well as the central tunnelled section of the Elizabeth line. 

The Elizabeth line is the UK’s busiest train line – It accounts for approximately 240 million passenger journeys per year. Last Christmas the first four stations to receive 4G connectivity on this line were Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon and Liverpool Street.

This latest set of stations in Central London got 4G connectivity back in May, meaning that all 8 stations on the Elizabethan line now offer super-fast 4G connectivity for smartphones. The addition of 4G and 5G connectivity in the central tunnelled section means that passengers can also stay connected while on the train. 

4G Connectivity At Various London Underground Stations

The roll-out of 4G mobile coverage at the final four stations on the Elizabethan line (Paddington, White Chapel, Canary Wharf and Woolwich) was completed as planned as set out by Transport for London. 

The Piccadilly Line also saw its first station become 4G compatible when Covent Garden was connected to the network. 4G connectivity is also available on the Victoria line, with the first location being between Warren Street and Euston. 

This means that there are now approximately a quarter of the Underground tube stations with 4G connectivity for passengers to utilise during their commute. And we’re expecting to see even more become connected during the summer months. 

4G and 5G Connectivity on Trains as well as at Underground Stations

In many areas, station platforms and tunnels between stations are already connected with 4G, with some parts of the Underground enjoying better 4G connections than Londoners above ground! 

Commuters travelling in the central tunnelled section of the Elizabeth line can now enjoy 4G and 5G connectivity on their smartphones whilst on the train as well as at the stations. 

The coverage within the tunnels covers a distance of approximately 5 miles, extending from the Royal Oak portal to the west of Paddington to Liverpool Street station.

Over the coming weeks, TfL and partner Boldyn Networks aim to deliver high-speed mobile connectivity in more tunnelled sections of the Elizabeth line towards Whitechapel, with the entire line expected to have mobile coverage by the end of the summer. 

Vision of 4G/5G Connectivity Across London Underground Network Becoming a Reality

The 4G network rollout across the London Underground is being installed at no cost to TfL by Boldyn Networks is due to be completed by the end of 2025, as promised by Mayor Sadiq Khan. This will also include the London Overground and DLR. 

All 4 UK mobile network operators (Three UK, EE, Vodafone and Virgin MEdia O2 VMO2) are taking part in the rollout. The introduction of high-speed 4G and 5G mobile coverage is being gradually deployed by TfL and Boldyn Networks, to cover the whole Tube, DLR and Elizabeth line network, as well as central parts of the London Overground. 

Not only will this provide an important service to passengers, enabling them to keep in touch with friends and family, liaise with colleagues, surf the internet and scroll social media during their journey, but will also provide better coverage to rail and Tube staff. It will enable staff to pass on vital information to other agencies and host the new Emergency Services Network (ESN). 

In 2021, TfL awarded Boldyn Networks with a 20-year concession to deliver high-speed, 5G-ready mobile connectivity across the entire London Underground network. The company is meeting this by installing a fibre backbone across the capital to improve connectivity both above and below ground.

Throughout the nights, a team of approximately 500 people are working across the Tube network, installing mobile equipment outside of operational hours that will eventually comprise more than 2,000 kilometres of cabling plus thousands of radios within tunnels and stations..

This project is certainly gathering pace, with all parties working hard to ensure passengers will be able to stay connected whilst travelling throughout the capital. 

Which Underground Stations Have Mobile Coverage?

You can find 4G/5G connectivity on your smartphone at the following London Underground stations: 

  • Central line: Holland Park, Notting Hill Gate, Queensway, Lancaster Gate, Marble Arch, Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, Holborn, Chancery Lane, St Paul’s.
  • Northern line: Belsize Park, Chalk Farm, Archway, Tufnell Park, Kentish Town, Camden Town, Mornington Crescent, Euston, Warren Street, Goodge Street, Tottenham Court Road.
  • Elizabeth line: Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf, Woolwich.
  • Jubilee line: Westminster, Waterloo, Southwark, London Bridge, Bermondsey, Canada Water, Canary Wharf, North Greenwich.
  • Piccadilly line: Covent Garden.

With thanks to TfL for the above map, indicating the 4G and 5G coverage that can be found below ground at various locations.

Why Use 4G/5G for Connected Railway Networks?

4G/5G networks offer an ideal model for railway networks as they offer super-fast speed, low latency and reliability. 

It’s important to ensure that the 4G/5G connection available will be stable and of good quality. This is where 4G/5G testing comes in. 

Here at Geekabit we can provide 4G/5G mobile signal testing to check coverage and performance both in static locations and on the move. We can also determine which Mobile Network Operator would offer the best coverage for your user location(s). 

Geekabit can carry out a 5G survey for transport networks across the UK and Europe, for transport bodies, local councils and Government departments.

In today’s world, we don’t just stay in one place – Even while we’re working. We take our need for connection wherever we go, and it needs to be strong and reliable. Gone are the days where we are tethered to a desk! We need 4G/5G mobile coverage to be available on the go. 

Geekabit’s 5G survey can tell you how strong the cellular coverage is in certain areas of the UK and Europe, and which networks would work best for those locations. This information is invaluable. To find out more about this service, please contact us. 

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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. 

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Satellite Broadband Satellite Internet SpaceX Starlink Starlink Mini
New Mini Dish and Mini Roam Service from Starlink Broadband 

Were you an early adopter of the ultrafast, low-latency Starlink broadband service from SpaceX? Then you may soon be invited to be part of the testing phase of Starlink’s new Mini Dish hardware terminal as well as their Mini Roaming service add-on. 

Quick Recap on Starlink Satellite Broadband Service

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 customers generally start at £75 per month, plus Standard Plan hardware at a cost of £399. 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. 

Starlink Launch New Mini Dish and Mini Roam Service

Early adopters in the US have already been offered to purchase the new Mini Kit (Dish), with UK availability due to follow soon. 

This new Mini Dish is not only smaller (298.5mm x 259mm x 38.5mm) but also 63% lighter than the standard dish from Starlink. Other specifications include:

  • Operating temperature range – -30°C to 50°C 
  • Draws around 25-40 Watts on average
  • Can run directly off 12-48V DC ( the dish comes with a 110V power supply with 15m of cable)
  • Field of view (FoV) is 110 degrees, which is a bit better than the Standard dish
  • Has a single Ethernet (LAN) port
  • Can only be used whilst stationary (although a moving service may come later, likely for an additional cost)
  • The built-in Wi-Fi is only dual-band (3×3) 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) instead of Wi-Fi 6

Currently in the USA, customers who use the new Mini Roam service that accompanies the new Mini Dish will have 50GB of ‘mobile’ data’ that they can use anywhere. Customers who use more than that will be charged $1 per GB. 

How much does the new Mini Dish from Starlink cost?

The new Mini Kit (Dish) costs $599 (that’s £473 for us Brits) which is offered as part of a bundle with their new Mini Roam service for an extra $30 per month (which will be an additional £24 per month in the UK). 

Whilst this cost would be on top of the subscription you already pay, at the least the price of the hardware is expected to decrease in the future. 

What do SpaceX have to say about their new Mini Dish and Mini Roaming service?

As a customer of SpaceX Starlink satellite broadband, you may have received or soon be receiving an email stating the following: 

“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 100Mbps.” 

“Our goal is to reduce the price of Starlink, especially for those around the world where connectivity has been unaffordable or completely unavailable. But in regions with high usage, where Starlink Mini places additional demand on the satellite network, we are offering a limited number of the Starlink Mini Kits to start for $599.” 

You can find the specifications for the Starlink Mini Dish on their website here and the set up guide here.

When will the UK get Starlink’s new Mini Dish and Mini Roaming service?

In the US, the initial deliveries of the Mini Dish kit are due to start in July 2024. Remember – This is currently still a bit of a trial product so we don’t yet know when this will be coming to the UK and how much the new Mini Dish kit will cost over here. 

But we’ll be watching this space! 

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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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! 

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Broadband Business Wi-Fi OneWeb Satellite Broadband Satellite Internet SpaceX Starlink
How Does Starlink Compare to OneWeb?

What a time to be alive! Right above our heads, there’s a space race taking place in the skies between LEO satellite broadband providers Starlink and OneWeb. 

Making space-based connectivity a reality, these 2 private satellite-broadband companies are building worldwide networks to provide global satellite internet coverage through LEO satellites. 

You might think that they are direct competitors, but actually whilst Starlink and OneWeb are similar in many ways, they also significantly differ as well. 

So let’s take a look at how 2 of the most innovative companies of our generation compare when it comes to LEO satellite broadband.

What is Starlink?

Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, Elon Musk’s space exploration company SpaceX has a division called Starlink. Starlink consists of a constellation of 6,078 Low Earth Orbit satellites that circle the Earth, aiming to make connectivity possible from anywhere for the average person.

2019 saw Starlink beginning to launch their first satellites, with their satellite broadband service now offering internet access to more than 30 countries. 

What is OneWeb?

Founded in 2012 and with investors consisting of the UK government, the Indian telecom firm Bharti Global and Japanese investment group Softbank group, OneWeb is a UK-based broadband satellite organisation that is rapidly expanding connectivity across the globe. CEO Neil Masterson says OneWeb is striving to “provide fibre where there’s no fibre.” 

How does Starlink compare to OneWeb?

Let’s take a closer look at the goals, technical specifications, constellations, performance and support of these satellite internet providers. 

Business Goals

Whilst to some, Starlink and OneWeb may be considered “rivals”, they are actually more like peers. In fact, SpaceX have even assisted OneWeb by launching 40 OneWeb satellites into orbit using SpaceX rockets. 

You may think this is odd, but actually they don’tsee themselves as direct competitors. They have differing business goals and objectives as well as target customers. 

Starlink Business Goal 

The business mission behind Starlink’s is to provide high-speed internet access to everyone. While that can and does include businesses, the primary aim for Starlink’s is to help residential customers. Especially those based in rural locations where the land-based infrastructure is lacking and connectivity is difficult. Of course, this applies to rural businesses as well.

OneWeb Business Goal

Whilst the business objective of OneWeb is similar, this UK-based company strives to supply high-speed internet to businesses across the globe (rather than residential customers) thus improving IoT. Consumers accessing OneWeb satellite broadband will do so through a secondary business. 

Technical Specifications

We can’t host a Starlink vs OneWeb article without looking at the tech specs now can we? 

Constellations

First let’s look at the constellations themselves. As we’ve already mentioned, both Starlink and OneWeb’s satellites are in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) – But interestingly they’re not anywhere near each other. Starlink satellites can be found at 550km/340mi from Earth, whereas OneWeb satellites orbit the planet at 1,200km/746mi from Earth. 

Starlink has a current fleet of 6,078 satellites in their constellation. They plan to have 7,500 by the end of 2027. OneWeb currently has 648 satellites in their LEO constellation. Although this is the number required for global coverage, they hope to expand to 7,000 satellites in the future. 

Whilst Starlink’s fleet might seem more impressive, let’s remember that both Starlink and OneWeb have different objectives and timelines – And both are currently on track to change connectivity through their satellite broadband offerings. 

Latency

In simple terms, broadband satellites work by sending and receiving data from Earth. Latency is the time it takes for data to travel back and forth. 

Starlink purport to offer a maximum latency of 20 to 40 milliseconds, with field testing finding an average of approximately 40 to 50 milliseconds. This is slightly lower latency than OneWeb, who promise latency of under 100 milliseconds.

Legacy broadband satellites generally have a latency of around 600 milliseconds or more, so both Starlink and OneWeb offer a significant improvement to the previous technology available. 

Bandwidth

Starlink and OneWeb both offer substantial bandwidth but each with distinctive features. 

Starlink Bandwidth

According to Starlink’s website, Starlink users can generally enjoy download speeds ranging from 25 to 220 Mbps. The majority of customers experience download speeds of over 100 Mbps. Upload speeds are usually found to be within 5 to 20 Mbps.

OneWeb Bandwidth

For those who have critical applications that require a certain bandwidth, OneWeb offers the option to purchase Committed Information Rate (CIR), which ensures a dedicated bandwidth for those applications that are business critical. 

OneWeb users can also choose the location of their ground station, allowing the routing of traffic to a specific area. 

As part of a demonstration prepared for the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA), the company conducted a Proof of Concept (PoC) test, establishing connectivity with its LEO constellation. 

A recent Proof of Concept test for the NCIA saw OneWeb achieve seamless streaming of 4K video feeds and simultaneous operation of various applications, including Microsoft Teams, Twitch, and Google Earth. It also saw download speeds of 195Mbps, upload speeds of 32 Mbps and latency as low as 70 milliseconds. A pretty impressive result.

Reliability

Let’s remember that Starlink and OneWeb both have slightly different business goals, so looking at the reliability of each in critical scenarios will shine a light on the different user needs and thus the suitability of each. 

Starlink has shown that it offers a highly reliable internet service, especially for users living in remote areas. It has been praised by reviewers worldwide for its high download and upload speeds. It has also shown itself to be a viable option for those where more traditional connectivity options are not available or reliable. 

Whilst it has been reported that there are the occasional hiccups (as with all internet provisions, let’s be honest) and its suitability questioned for critical situations and disasters like fires, in ‘normal’ day to day residential life, it performs well and provides reliable broadband where services were previously unavailable.

For larger scale businesses that require a consistent and trustworthy internet experience for critical operations, OneWeb is committed to meet the demand. 

It would appear that OneWeb can provide a dependable internet solution in difficult geographical landscapes where ordinary broadband wouldn’t be an option. Business users in hard to reach, remote locations can experience robust and consistent internet connections with OneWeb. Compared to terrestrial networks, OneWeb offers heightened reliability without susceptibility to weather-related disruptions. 

Customer Support 

If you’ve ever needed to speak to someone about an internet-related problem, then you’ll know how important good customer support is. This is no different in the satellite internet industry. 

Starlink’s Customer Support System

The customer support system from Starlink relies exclusively on email support, which could present some problems when trying to provide real-time assistance to users. 

OneWeb’s Support System

OneWeb offers an accessible and robust troubleshooting service with 24/7 customer support via telephone assistance. 

Starlink vs OneWeb – Quick Recap

As we’ve seen above, the performance, bandwidth, reliability, support systems, and target customer do vary between OneWeb and Starlink. Having an understanding of these differences can help users to identify which reliable, high-performance satellite internet solution would be best for their needs. 

StarlinkOneWeb
Number of Satellites6,078648
BandwidthMajority of users enjoy download speeds of 100 Mbps, ranging up to 220 MbpsDownload speeds up to 150 Mbps
ReliabilityReliable internet service, occasional hiccups reportedConsistent and trustworthy in challenging landscapes 
LatencyAdvertised: 20-40 ms, Field tests: 40-50 ms (Slightly better than OneWeb) Sub-100 millisecond latency 
Support SystemEmail support24/7 phone support
Consumer Base DynamicsConsumer-oriented, focusing on residential users in rural areasBusiness-focused with an emphasis on IoT 

Starlink Satellite Broadband with Geekabit 

For many UK SME’s who operate in more rural areas, Starlink satellite broadband can offer reliable internet where more traditional methods of connectivity are not an option. If you would like to speak to one of our Wi-Fi experts about whether Starlink satellite broadband could work for your business, then get in touch with our friendly team today. 

Starlink satellite broadband can also provide the ideal solution for outdoor events like festivals, shows and charity events – Especially if you have food and beverage vendors trying to take mobile payments! Here at Geekabit, we offer a Starlink broadband hired service – Find out more here. 

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