Certain areas of the UK, especially rural, hard-to-reach areas, have struggled to stay connected for decades, with some areas relying on 3G (and even 2G!), compared to the advanced 4G and 5G cellular connections most urban areas can now take advantage of.

Thankfully, Elon Musk is helping to eliminate that frustration – both for businesses and residential customers – by offering access to its satellite connectivity network, Starlink!

So, if you’ve been cursing a lack of high-speed, low-latency, reliable wireless connectivity in your area, read on to discover if Starlink could be a feasible solution for your home or business…

Why would I even consider Starlink as an option?

The main selling point of Starlink is that you get a high-speed, portable internet connection without having to lay any cables or rely on cell towers. Instead, the only necessity is a clear line of sight to the skies above!

Services are customised to specific applications, too. For example, Starlink offers residential, business, mobile and IoT ‘flavours’ of its Starlink service, each with bespoke pricing, hardware and features to cater to those particular challenges.

For the sake of simplicity, we’ll be covering the typical ‘business’ product, but you can find more info about the others here.

Key Starlink features:

• Priority Data, which includes faster speeds (typically 40-220 Mbps download, 8-25 Mbps upload) and top network priority
• Publicly routable IPv4 address.
• Dedicated priority support
• Enterprise dashboard for remote monitoring & network management
• Unlimited service locations.

Starlink offers a far greater level of flexibility, as well. Say your business decides to move offices… All you have to do is unplug the dish, move it to the new location and set it up again – usually in just 5 minutes!

Compare that to the rigamarole of changing address with your internet provider, or discover you’re in a signal ‘notspot’ with your mobile services provider and the value of a Starlink solution quickly becomes apparent! Even if the costs seem a bit much…

Not sure if Starlink would be value for money for your business?
Get in touch to explore your options!

What are the costs of Starlink?

For the business service, users get an upgraded dish, with a higher gain antenna, additional throughput allocation, and better extreme weather performance, businesses can ensure bandwidth for critical operations 24/7, for £2,410.* (The residential service is considerably cheaper).

Users then choose one of three data packages:

It’s also important to note that there are no contracts with Starlink, just a 30-day rolling contract that can be paused or un-paused at any time!

You also get a 30-day free trial, with the hardware costs fully refunded if returned, and delivery in just 1-2 weeks for a super-fast setup.

Does the weather affect Starlink?

Naturally, many will wonder whether the weather will have a negative effect on service quality, and just like mobile services, the answer is yes, with a couple of caveats.

The company states that Starlink was designed to ‘withstand extreme cold, heat, hail, sleet, heavy rain, and gale force winds’, and that it has ‘tested its dishes in environments with wind speeds up to 75 mph’ but gives no assurances of service consistency at those speeds.

Though, for a little reassurance, third-party tech website BlinqBlinq surveyed over 300 Starlink users and found that most found no service degradation in light rains or snow, and less than third reported issues in ‘bad weather’.

Most of those affected were also located in low-capacity areas too, so as long as you’re getting a strong signal, even the infamous British weather shouldn’t derail your connectivity!

Need IoT connectivity in hard-to-reach areas?

Check out Swarm, Starlink’s IoT service!

How easy is it to install Starlink?

Everything is ‘Plug-and-Play’, and Starlink essentially comes in two parts:

The Starlink dish and base will need to be installed somewhere with a clear line of sight to the sky, and within reach of a power outlet. (Some versions also come with a separate power supply which would need to be factored in).

The Wi-Fi router will also need to be installed close to where you’ll be working, but within 15m of the dish, to allow for the cable that transfers data between the Starlink dish and router.

The Starlink app even helps users install their dishes in the best possible position, so there isn’t much that can go wrong.

Though, Express Telephony will always be on hand to install the solution for you, if need be! And if you have any other questions about Starlink, satellite connectivity, or anything else for that matter, don’t hesitate to call our expert team on 03303 322 640, today!

*prices correct as of June 3rd , 2023.