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SpaceX Starlink to Provide Next-Generation Wi-Fi to Carnival Cruises

If you are a part of the cruising community then you might have seen via Carnival Corporation that they have signed a new agreement with Starlink – The satellite technology leader.

Even if you’re not a part of the cruising community, you will likely have heard of Carnival Corporation. They are one of the world’s largest leisure travel companies, boasting a portfolio of world-class cruise lines.

This provision of next-generation Wi-Fi on Carnival cruise ships is all set to transform connectivity for both guests and crew, bringing the ships faster internet and greater capacity. 

This new and improved Wi-Fi connectivity will start aboard the Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruises brands. 

Carnival is the world’s largest cruise company, so it makes sense that they are committed to providing their guests with fast internet. Their ongoing strategy is to provide their guests with the best Wi-Fi experience at sea by tripling bandwidth fleet-wide since 2019. 

Last week, the latest move in this connectivity strategy was signing an agreement with SpaceX’s Starlink to provide next-generation internet connectivity across its global fleet. 

Starlink utilises LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite technology, providing faster service, greater capacity and more reliable Wi-Fi on a global scale. 

Rollout of Starlink connectivity on board cruise ships has begun

December last year saw the beginning of the Starlink rollout across their Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruise fleet of ships. 

They have plans to extend Starlink connectivity to more of their world-class cruise brands such as Princess Cruises, P&O Cruises (Australia and UK), Cunard, Holland America Line, Costa Cruises and Seabourn. 

Until recently, at-sea experiences of Wi-Fi aboard cruise ships were not very comparable to on-land connectivity. By signing with Starlink, Carnival are greatly improving their on-board connectivity for guests (and crew) by offering the best available Wi-Fi experience – Rivalling even on-land connectivity. 

In an age where the majority of people expect to be able to connect whilst on holiday, this is big news. How can guests share their holiday snaps with friends and family back home if they’ve got patchy Wi-Fi? 

Guests may also find that they would like to stream movies back in their cabin via Netflix or watch specific sports matches live – Buffering is not an option. 

Starlink to provide cruise guests and crew with home-level connectivity whilst at sea

CEO of Carnival Corporation, Josh Weinstein says:

“For many of our guests, it has become more and more important to maintain the type of connectivity at sea that they’ve become accustomed to at home, and of course to share the unforgettable experiences of their cruise with friends and family.

“We are in the business of delivering happiness, and Starlink makes it as easy as possible for our guests to share all their great moments and memories, giving them even more joy out of their cruise vacation.”

Not only does this new-generation Wi-Fi bring more joy to guests, but it will also enable Carnival brands to offer new guest services and features – All through added bandwidth.

And it’s not just the guests that will be seeing the benefits of Starlink connectivity on board. The increased bandwidth will also help at an operational level with things like onboard equipment monitoring as well as real-time communications between teams on ship and on the shore. 

Whatsmore, Carnival isn’t just about bringing joy to their guests at sea but their crew too. Guests aren’t the only ones that want to stay in touch with friends and family back home whilst they’re aboard the ship – Their crew members also want to do the same. Starlink’s innovative satellite technology will enable them to do just this. 

Starlink thrilled to bring high-speed broadband to remote waters

Vice President of Sales for SpaceX Starlink, Jonathan Hofeller says:

“High-speed, low-latency broadband internet is critical in our modern age, and we’re excited to provide Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA’s guests an internet experience that makes their travel even more enjoyable.

“In even the most remote waters, guests onboard Carnival Corporation ships will be able to share real-time updates with friends and family.”

Carnival already has a portfolio of world-class communications service and technology providers for their ships – Satellite and otherwise. Starlink are the latest provider to join this growing group of pioneering tech providers. 

Carnival remains the industry leader for their connectivity, fleet wide. Their global presence sees almost 100 ships visit over 700 ports worldwide. It’s little wonder they are innovative in their attitude to connectivity, using a multi-provider approach with a framework strategically designed to optimise their network speeds and route internet traffic aboard their fleet anywhere in the world. 

Our resident Wi-Fi expert and CEO Steve is a bit of an avid cruise goer. He’s excited to check out first hand how Starlink next-generation satellite Wi-Fi will enhance the guest experience aboard these cruise ships. 

To read more about this new-generation Wi-Fi aboard Carnival cruise ships, you can visit their website: www.carnivalcorp.com or  www.carnival.com.

We’re Experts in Starlink Installations

Of course, cruise ships aren’t the only industry that can benefit from Starlink satellite connectivity. There are plenty of places on land that could see an improvement in internet speeds by using Starlink technology. 

As experts in Starlink installation, do get in touch with us here at Geekabit if you think your rural business or outdoor event could benefit from satellite broadband. We’d be more than happy to chat through the options and see if Starlink satellite technology could transform your connectivity. 

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Our Top Wi-Fi Blogs of 2021

A new year has begun, and no doubt it will bring new technology and wireless improvements with it!

Here at Geekabit, we covered a lot of different Wi-Fi topics last year here on the blog, many of which were steered by the enquiries we were receiving to our Wi-Fi Experts across Winchester, London and Cardiff. We saw a big increase in demand for 4G broadband, particularly for homes in rural areas. Hybrid broadband has also soared in popularity!

We’ve also talked a lot about 5G and Wi-Fi 6 and a few of the products already available on the market. With there still being a heavy focus on working from home throughout 2021, it’s no surprise that reliable broadband and internet speeds at home were still crucial. We even launched our own product – SpeedScore – A great way for estate agents and landlords to accurately identify their broadband speeds.

With all of this in mind, we thought we would take a look back on the last year and see what blogs were most popular with you – Our readers!

#10 – Just making the top 10 reads from 2021 is a blog on the 4G Broadband Teltonika RUT950 router. This device was out top product for 4G broadband installations during 2021 – Click the blog to find out why.

4G Broadband and the Teltonika RUT950 Industrial Cellular Router

#9 – Continuing on the 4G broadband theme, in at number 9 is why 4G broadband could be the answer for all your rural Wi-Fi woes. 2021 brought us many clients desperate for a quicker Wi-Fi service in rural areas, particularly those who had moved out of London but expected the same internet connectivity. If you’re sticking with more working-from-home as we move into 2022, then have a read of this blog to see if 4G broadband could bring you a better connection.

4G Broadband – The Answer to Your Rural Wi-Fi Woes?

#8 – Last year we saw a big buzz around 5G. This blog was all about the Robustel R5020 router – An exciting product offering 5G connectivity at a competitive price.

The Robustel R5020 5G Router

#7 – We can’t talk about 4G broadband without talking about data plans. Joining in on the blog popularity of 4G/5G broadband and pieces of kit was this blog on Unlimited 4G broadband data plans. well worth a read if you’re going down the 4G broadband route.

The Best Unlimited 4G Data Plans for Broadband

#6 – Which brings us nicely to hybrid broadband. This has seen a soar in popularity, and we’re expecting to see a lot more of this in client enquiries over this coming year. But what is hybrid broadband? If you’re wanted unbreakable Wi-Fi for your home or business then this could well be the solution you’ve been searching for.

 

What is Hybrid Broadband?

#5 – 2021 saw Facebook launch it’s own Wi-Fi – But what is it? Hundreds of thousands of businesses are already using it, but if you’re not yet one of them then click the blog below to see what you need to know.

What is Facebook Wi-Fi?

#4 – Anything to do with Ubiquiti always proves a popular blog topic. And with good reason – These devices are one of the staple pieces of kit here at Geekabit. The Ubiquiti UniFi range of access points are always easy to match to our clients needs.

How Do I Choose The Right Ubiquiti UniFi Access Point?

#3 – Wi-Fi 6 was another topic on everyone’s lips last year. This blog on the Amplifi Alien Wi-Fi 6 router was a big favourite of our readers – Could that be because of the ongoing need to work and learn from home?

Amplifi Alien – The New Wi-Fi 6 Router from Ubiquiti

#2 – How do you choose the right wireless product for your home or business? It’s a question often asked so no wonder this blog looking at 3 top wireless products almost made the top spot. If you want to compare UniFi, Meraki and Aruba bits of wireless kit then this is the blog for you.

UniFi vs Meraki vs Aruba

#1 – And here we are at number one. The most popular blog last year was this one on Starlink and what it meant for broadband here in the UK. another interesting read, particularly those living and working in more rural areas, struggling with connectivity.

What is Starlink and what does it mean for UK broadband?

So there you go – Our top ten Wi-Fi blogs of 2021. We’re excited to see what 2022 will bring!

 

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Could Pesky Pigeons be Interfering with your Satellite Broadband?

A short while ago we blogged about space entrepreneur Elon Musk’s company Starlink – A new satellite broadband service.

In a recent article from the BBC, a cyber-security expert from The University of Surrey talks about the outages he experiences on his satellite broadband – And how he thinks they could be down to pigeons sitting on his dish!

Those who live in rural areas can only dream of fibre broadband – Satellite broadband gives these people a chance for low latency broadband. This particular cyber expert, Professor Woodward, is one the 100,000 beta testers of the LEO (low Earth orbit) satellite broadband system.

And he believes that his satellite dish looks rather like a modern bird bath – That the pigeons have taken a shining to!

It’s definitely not a bird bath though. This fancy little dish sends and receives signals to passing satellites. There is a constellation of 1,700 satellites at a height of approximately 550km (380 miles). You might have seen them in the night sky! They orbit earth about every 90 minutes.

Starlink plan to mobilise tens of thousands more of these satellite to improve their broadband service. However, Space X, the company who operate Starlink, have been slowed down by chip and liquid oxygen fuel shortages.

Whilst it’s not definitive what is actually causing Prof Woodward glitches, expert opinion says that a pigeon sitting on a Starlink antenna could certainly cause a decrease in performance.

Starlink aren’t the only organisation planning to provide satellite broadband. There are quite a few in the pipeline!

  • Project Kuiper from Amazon has a plan to launch 3,236 satellites
  • Canadian company Telesat are planning to put 298 satellites into orbit
  • The EU are making plans for a ‘mega-constellation’
  • China are making plans for their own satellite network
  • OneWeb – Part funded by the UK taxpayer – already have hardware in space like Starlink, with 288 satellites in space

If you’ve not heard of OneWeb, their focus will be on providing internet to businesses, maritime users and the government. They have a deal with BT, which means there is a strong likelihood that they will also provide consumer broadband to rural areas. It could also mean portable 5G cells for hire.

Some people may even be using satellite broadband without realising it! For places where fibre isn’t available, suppliers may run a satellite link. This would feed the local broadband pipe, giving rural homes a connection.

Becoming a beta tester isn’t cheap

If you’re struggling with a rural broadband connection and are sat wondering how much it might cost to become a Starlink beta tester, then read on.

It currently costs about £500 for all of the equipment you will need, plus £89 per month fees.

Thankfully, it’s pretty straightforward to get it all set up. Starlink will provide you with an app that helps identify any potential obstructions when you’re choosing the best spot for your dish.

You’ll want to choose somewhere flat and easy to get to – But worth considering the pigeons too!

Once you connect to the router and the dish is in prime position, you should find yourselves with fast internet.

What are the actual speeds of satellite broadband?

In this example, the average speeds were 150-200 megabits per second (Mbps) download speeds and 10-20Mbps upload. Whilst there may be occasional dropouts, this scenario didn’t experience interruptions in streaming shows.

And for many people struggling for broadband in rural locations, these speeds are a dream come true.

And with Elon Musk hoping to double the top speeds offered to 300Mbps, there seems to be scope for improvement.

What can affect satellite broadband service?

Well, as the blog title implies, pigeons can be a bit of an issue. But there are also other factors that can affect the service that satellite broadband service users receive via LEO satellites.

  • It depends on whether there are a number of other dishes nearby. For this reason, Starlink limits the number of users per coverage area. In a given area, not very many users can have the top speed at the same time. This is because it has a finite capacity it can provide in a given area, so user experience will decrease as the number of nearby users increases.
  • Regulator Ofcom expressed their concerns about how different satellite systems could cause interference. What would you prefer – A slow but reliable connection, or a fast yet intermittent one? For things like Zoom, you’re going to need a continuous connection.

Will the skies become crowded?

Astronomers have actually already started observing how busy the LEO is becoming, and how trails of satellites are interfering with their observations.

The possibility of collisions is also a very real concern. Apparently there have already been reported near misses involving Starlink satellites, with experts warning that the ability to prevent collisions between the many satellite constellations will become increasingly difficult for both humans and algorithms.

This means we may require more technologically advanced solutions in order to keep spacecraft safe in space.

Of course, the number of satellites orbiting earth will depend on the demand for them. There’s not much point sending all these satellites up into space if there isn’t actually a demand for satellite broadband here on earth!

But for those living in rural areas where fibre broadband isn’t possible, satellite broadband could be just the solution.

Just make sure to watch out for the pigeons!

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