Starlink - anyone using it?

Dirk Diggler · 25 Feb 2021 at 16:30

A random article I've read today:

https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/elon-musks-starlink-gives-amazing-broadband-to-uk-villages/

175Mbps rising to 300Mbps by the end of the year? That's easy beyond what I currently get with BT (40Mbps). £89 per month is too steep for me to switch, but with mass take up I could see this being financially viable pretty quickly. It would mean I could finally ditch the stupid landline that I pay for but never use.

ChrisD. · 25 Feb 2021 at 16:31

Dirk Diggler said:
landline that I pay for but never use

You can get broadband only?

Yaayuh! · 25 Feb 2021 at 16:36

Reliability, latency and quality in general is going to be poor, certainly in it's infancy. It's priority is to get those in remote areas connected, i'd certainly prefer a low-level FTTC connection if available, over Starlink.

Dirk Diggler · 25 Feb 2021 at 16:41

ChrisD. said:
You can get broadband only?

I don't think so unless they've changed the process. I've probably got a year left in contact so I won't find out anytime too soon unfortunately.

Dirk Diggler · 25 Feb 2021 at 16:42

Yaayuh! said:
Reliability, latency and quality in general is going to be poor, certainly in it's infancy. It's priority is to get those in remote areas connected, i'd certainly prefer a low-level FTTC connection if available, over Starlink.

Yes, it looks that way but I just thought it had potential. I'd love to have an alternative over BT, they won't invest a penny while they're the only show in town.

Yaayuh! · 25 Feb 2021 at 16:48

Dirk Diggler said:
Yes, it looks that way but I just thought it had potential. I'd love to have an alternative over BT, they won't invest a penny while they're the only show in town.

I'm with you there. I have a 32-34mb maxed on FTTC, given my location on the outskirts of a small nowhere town, I doubt I'm getting an upgrade for another 5 years.

Zefan · 25 Feb 2021 at 17:21

Got an email the other day saying it's available in my area. For ~£500 a year it just really isn't realistic at the moment. I totally dig the technology though and I am an enormous SpaceX fan so I wish it were cheaper just so I could have the excuse to be honest. Internet here limited to either ADSL2 or a fixed point

oint 4g last mile solution slapped together by the local authority decided to go with I stead if pushing FTTC/P everywhere. I'm a bit apprehensive about that option tbh, and I'm super super bitter than the houses opposite, as well as the one two doors down have Virgin Media, while we definitely don't.

Deleted member 77746 · 25 Feb 2021 at 17:52

Erm. NO.

£439 one off fee then £89 per month and £54 for delivery.

SOD OFF.

CaptainRAVE · 25 Feb 2021 at 17:52

It’s the future, but there doesn’t seem to be a reason to use it currently.

Zefan · 25 Feb 2021 at 18:00

Bouton Aide said:
Erm. NO.

£439 one off fee then £89 per month and £54 for delivery.

SOD OFF.

Christ :| I missed the service charge part! At ~£130 a month it really is onlyfor people who want to pay for SpaceX's R&D, or who have somehow absolutely no other option.

Deleted member 77746 · 25 Feb 2021 at 18:19

Zefan said:
Christ :| I missed the service charge part! At ~£130 a month it really is onlyfor people who want to pay for SpaceX's R&D, or who have somehow absolutely no other option.

It's not for anyone who has a normal job that's for sure. Well they will be intro prices. I think once the people who can afford it and people like farms get it or really rural areas then the price should drop.

Rroff · 25 Feb 2021 at 18:23

We've signed up for it but looks like still ~4 months until available here. With only 30Mbit FTTC and 4G about same speed we are exploring all options we can.

Deleted member 77746 · 25 Feb 2021 at 18:27

Rroff said:
We've signed up for it but looks like still ~4 months until available here. With only 30Mbit FTTC and 4G about same speed we are exploring all options we can.

Too expensive IMO. Over a year it works out at

£439 + (£89 x 12 months) + (£54 delivery) = £1,561 - over 12 months VS

£35 x 12 months = £420 per year.

Steampunk · 25 Feb 2021 at 18:28

Rroff · 25 Feb 2021 at 19:51

Bouton Aide said:
Too expensive IMO. Over a year it works out at

£439 + (£89 x 12 months) + (£54 delivery) = £1,561 - over 12 months VS

£35 x 12 months = £420 per year.

Depends on speeds (and reliability) - would still be keeping the FTTC.

Journey · 25 Feb 2021 at 19:58

The fact that it only costs £89 per month is pretty amazing. An old friend of mine lives in rural Wales ( which part isn't?) And his option is 2Mbps ADSL, or 4-8Mbps 4G. He wanted to run his business from his converted barn, but couldn't do ended up renting an office in a local town just so he could get decent internet, which is stupid since he's then driving 20+ miles each way, wasting time and fuel, and spending a small fortune on rent. I told him about Starlink coming soon, and he said he was going to drive over after lockdown and kiss me, I declined.

RSR · 25 Feb 2021 at 20:21

Rroff said:
We've signed up for it but looks like still ~4 months until available here. With only 30Mbit FTTC and 4G about same speed we are exploring all options we can.

Same.

My other options are 14K+ VAT for leased line (36 months) and £8,379.20 +VAT for FTTPoD.

gpuerrilla · 25 Feb 2021 at 20:59

Dirk Diggler said:
Yes, it looks that way but I just thought it had potential. I'd love to have an alternative over BT, they won't invest a penny while they're the only show in town.

agree

Yaayuh! said:
I'm with you there. I have a 32-34mb maxed on FTTC, given my location on the outskirts of a small nowhere town, I doubt I'm getting an upgrade for another 5 years.

Count yourselves lucky, im in the sticks and we only got the fiber engineers looking at the poles on our road a month ago. Will be up to 6 months they said till it is an option. Big shout out to BT for sitting on billions of gov handouts for decades while the rest of the world has surpassed us in speed and services.. :rolleyes:

Cyber-Mav · 26 Feb 2021 at 07:52

Rroff said:
looks like still ~4 months until available here.

How can it be available in some areas and not others? Are you on a different planet? Does the satellite use very narrow sector antennas???

Deleted member 77746 · 26 Feb 2021 at 08:36

Rroff said:
Depends on speeds (and reliability) - would still be keeping the FTTC.

Indeed! Speed has a factor to play in this especially in places that normal fibre can't reach yet.

RSR said:
Same.

My other options are 14K+ VAT for leased line (36 months) and £8,379.20 +VAT for FTTPoD.

Now when you look at it like this, the options are 100% something to think about (depends of the speeds ofc) Having satlink like this makes it seamless for integration.

Cyber-Mav said:
How can it be available in some areas and not others? Are you on a different planet? Does the satellite use very narrow sector antennas???

I think they doing it on a slow rollout so they can "test" e.t.c. I'm pretty sure this is why areas are been 'selectively' used to start with.