Remote location internet access in the UK. Starlink etc?

[User00040]

Hi all,

Would like to get some feedback from people using satellite-based and microwave-based internet in remote areas.

What sort of money are you paying per month/annum? Setup costs and speeds? Data limits?

Area has no 4G/5G at the moment and does not look like cable/fibre will ever reach it.

Cheers

 

[Swedish]

Starlink Broadband

Being a tad rural here & at the furthest point from the BT exchange our internet is shockingly slow - 1.4 Mbps upload, 4ish download (This message will most likely take till next week to arrive :rolleyes: ) Anyone have any experience of Starlink broadband? Good/Bad???

www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk

 

[Island]

Hi all,

Would like to get some feedback from people using satellite-based and microwave-based internet in remote areas.

What sort of money are you paying per month/annum? Setup costs and speeds? Data limits?

Area has no 4G/5G at the moment and does not look like cable/fibre will ever reach it.

Cheers

At home I'm on microwave broadband through Briskona (BT unable to get more than 0.2Mbps speeds to me).

I'm on a £45 per month package with up to 50Mbps download / 10Mbps upload with unlimited data. The usual "fair usage" caveats are in place but I have never experienced any issues. All TV is streamed, all music is streamed, numerous devices connected at all times between the missus and myself.

I have been with them for many years now so cannot remember set-up costs but I'm quite certain it didn't run to much more than two or three hundred, and most of that was covered by a grant (which they advised on and administered). All in all I am quite happy with them. They even installed a repeater on the big house to bounce a signal to me as I cannot get LOS on the nearest hub.


We have recently installed Starlink as a back-up to Ku-band satellite uplinks on several of our vessels and the reports are rather impressive. Orsted have also recently installed Starlink on the Ostensjo vessels they charter for windfarm work and I am hearing positive things there also. I am watching with interest.

 

[montydog]

I live in deepest darkest wet wales and after trying everything (running a data dependent business) we went with starlink as soon as it was available. Never looked back! I can only speak from personal experience but its a game changer but it is expensive - £75/month for unlimited data. I get 150-220Mbps and low latency (a problem with some other satellite systems).

 

[cutty sark]

Had Starlink one year now, it’s very good.
They’ve always said that the monthly charge will reduce with more people subscribing, and true to there words it came down to £75 a few months back.

 

[User00040]

At home I'm on microwave broadband through Briskona (BT unable to get more than 0.2Mbps speeds to me).

I'm on a £45 per month package with up to 50Mbps download / 10Mbps upload with unlimited data. The usual "fair usage" caveats are in place but I have never experienced any issues. All TV is streamed, all music is streamed, numerous devices connected at all times between the missus and myself.

I have been with them for many years now so cannot remember set-up costs but I'm quite certain it didn't run to much more than two or three hundred, and most of that was covered by a grant (which they advised on and administered). All in all I am quite happy with them. They even installed a repeater on the big house to bounce a signal to me as I cannot get LOS on the nearest hub.


We have recently installed Starlink as a back-up to Ku-band satellite uplinks on several of our vessels and the reports are rather impressive. Orsted have also recently installed Starlink on the Ostensjo vessels they charter for windfarm work and I am hearing positive things there also. I am watching with interest.

Seems ScotGov has a simillar scheme to the Welsh govt with regards to internet grants, but instead of applying for it yourself, you need a registered provider to do it for you...

 

[purdeydog]

I’ve used starlink. Very good.

 

[kes]

Good question.
I was the coordinator for a community based bid for superfast in our Welsh hamlet. Openreach had a scheme whereby residents confirmed their willingness to use a service if one were provided by returning leaflets. Each domestic user (proposed) qualified for a grant in kind (money to be added up from the Welsh Govm), business users a higher value of deemed grant. We passed the threshold for provision of superfast by Openreach but BT/Openreach had (presumably because of business planning) already decided to make our village a commercial case without need to go to the Welsh Gov for grants (or BT Openreach obtained these over and above any previous grants). Openreach I found duplicitous to deal with but eventually their site confirmed we could get superfast by simply asking for it - the connection fee/charge was part of the monthly cost. So, many months later we received Super fast service at the house- about 100m from the nearest pole connection. The servoice is excellent and 150 mb/sec (tested at the first point of access to the house) Our house is stone so transmission beyond the access point is especially difficult. We solved this with wifi boosters and using a LAN to get from the input point to the Kitchen.
Before that we had (initially) satellite. Very expensive, poor service, almost no point for us and the internet dish was about 3 feet across and attached by 9 massive rawl-type bolts. It cost about £40 per month 5 years ago. Bandwidth was poor and variable - too many users speeds as low as 5 MB/s and as high as 20 MB/s.
Copper wire broadband (down phone lines) did not register at all but cost us about £5 permonth until we binned it.
We then had a microwave system provided by a company called Synergy down here. Line of sight to transmitters. Very reliable service and instant response to problems - but not superfast. we paid for 30 MB/s at £30 permonth and were grateful for it. Since all copper will stop being maintained in 2025 we thought we should be ahead of the tech curve for once and ordered broadband from BT with digital phones (no copper as here its all but useless after a cabinet fire). BT service has never been less than the 150MB/s we opted for (you can choose on your contract initiation up to 900MB/s) our cost is £51.00/ month for unlimited phones (digital supplied free with the contract (actually 700 free minutes/month), unlimited downloads 2 free wifi hubs. We can now get speeds of 2 to 3 times microwave all over the house. Base price for the contract was £30/month.
Mobile signal here is v poor so 4G is useless for broadband even though we are supposedly high enough to intercept the 'mesh' of wifi signals whizzing around us all.

Try the Openreach site to see if there are plans afoot if not check with your government office to see what grants are available (£1500 per household in Wales) and look for the community broadband initiative on Openreach. If thats all leading to nothing then I would recommend microwave, if it can be supplied locally. Satellite is a very poor alternative and, as far as I know you have to have the receiver installed and it operative on the relevant wavelength before service can be received Someone said satellite installation cost £700-£ 1000before you start but that cost could be heresay.
Good Luck - PM me if I can help any more.

 

[Tuck]

Got Starlink @caberslash and it’s great compared to the 1mb I had previous from BT. Think you can do a check through the Starlink App to see how good it will be but don’t take that as gospel. We get over a 100mb pretty much all the time… only gripe is it’s expensive £75 per month.

 

[John Gryphon]

Would like to get some feedback from people using satellite-based and microwave-based internet in remote areas.

Caberslash below is some starlink stuff and yes its about Aus but gives some good info on what you are asking.

Starlink Internet Australia: Speed, Price and Plans | Canstar Blue

Starlink internet is available Australia-wide, but is it all it's hyped up to be? Read more about Starlink internet in Australia at Canstar Blue.

www.canstarblue.com.au

 

[dusk till dawn]

Hi we had problems with all the normal internet service providers but changed to starlink 5 months ago and its speed and reliability is excellent for £75 per month well worth the money