Starlink Broadband

What is Starlink?

Starlink is a group of communications satellites orbiting the earth and transmitting signals around the globe. This satellite technology can then be used as a way to access the internet or make phone calls.

The company that operates the satellites is also called Starlink and is a subsidiary of Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Starlink the company sells a broadband service using the satellite technology. It’s available to residential and business customers in many countries.

What is Satellite internet?

With wired broadband, the data travels along a fibre optic cable in the ground. With satellite broadband, the data is bounced into space and back again.

People send radio signals from the Earth (known as uplinks) to a satellite in orbit. The satellite takes and boosts these signals and sends them back to Earth. The signals from space to earth are known as downlinks.

Communications satellites are usually placed at a level called ‘geostationary earth orbit’ (GEO) which means they orbit at the same pace as the Earth’s own rotation. Each satellite stays in the same place in relation to the Earth and we can use them to establish permanent communication links.

Starlink’s satellites operate closer to the Earth than most communications satellites. They’re in an area called Low Earth Orbit, or LEO. This is so that when satellites fail, they can be brought back down to Earth more easily rather than turning into space junk.

Can I get Starlink internet in the UK?

Yes. As of February 2025, Starlink is available in 87 countries, including the UK.^[1] But it may not be available in your area.

As of February 2025, a chunk of south-east England (including London, Reading and Brighton) was at capacity for Starlink orders. So if you live in that part of the UK, you would need to go on a waiting list.^[2]

Starlink service is available in the rest of the UK, but in many areas there’s a ‘congestion charge’ on top of the other costs. This is a one-off fee for new customers.

Type your address into the Starlink website to see what the situation is where you live.

What's included?

When you sign up for Starlink, you have to buy the hardware outright as well as paying the monthly subscription charge and possibly the additional ‘congestion charge’. Once you’re up and running, the standard residential broadband package includes unlimited data.

If you’re seeking broadband for a touring caravan or camper, the Roam package offers either unlimited data for £96/month or 50GB of data for £50/month.^[3]

How much is Starlink per month in the UK?

• Residential broadband: £75/month
• Roam broadband: £96/month for unlimited data or £50/month for 50GB
• A range of business packages up to £4,038 (for businesses needing broadband in the middle of the sea)^[3]

What Starlink broadband speeds can I expect?

• Standard Starlink home broadband: 25-100Mbps
• Priority broadband: 40-220Mbps
• Starlink mobile broadband: 5-50Mbps
• Priority mobile: 40-220Mbps

None of Starlink’s services have a top speed that can reach the UK average of 223Mbps, although the Priority package comes close.^[4]

Is Starlink faster than 5G?

No, Starlink broadband isn’t reliably faster than 5G.

As you’ve just read, there’s a wide range of possible speeds with Starlink - from 25 to 220Mbps. Real-world download speeds for 5G mobile broadband are 70 to 205Mbps.^[5]

If you’re a customer of Three, currently the fastest provider, you can expect to get speeds near the high end of that - assuming there’s a good 5G signal where you are. Where Starlink might win over mobile broadband is in parts of the UK with poor 5G coverage.

Is Starlink internet worth it?

Starlink is expensive! As of March 2025 a standard home broadband package in our home city of Cardiff will set you back:

• £75/month for the service
• £299 for the hardware
• £19 shipping and handling charge
• £75 ‘congestion charge’
• Charges for optional extra mounts and accessories for your satellite receiver^[3][6]

If your home is one of the seven in 10 UK households with access to full fibre, you can get much faster speeds from a fixed-line connection.^[6] There’s no benefit to paying extra for satellite broadband unless your circumstances make it hard to get fibre, cable or mobile broadband.

What are the alternatives?

Satellite broadband is only used by a minority of internet users. The main options are:

• Full fibre (which most UK households can access)
• Hybrid fibre
• Cable (Virgin Media’s offering)
• ADSL (the slow kind, currently being phased out)
• Mobile broadband

Satellite broadband

Take-up of satellite broadband in the UK doubled between 2023 and 2024, but numbers are still very small compared to other types of connection.^[7] The typical customer for satellite internet is someone needing broadband in a rural area where the other options aren’t great.

Around 58,000 homes and businesses in the UK still don’t have access to what Ofcom terms “decent broadband” (10Mbps or faster).^[7] A relatively high number of satellite broadband customers are in this group.

5G broadband

If you’re one of the minority without access to decent fixed-line broadband, you should explore 5G broadband before signing up to a satellite deal.

It’s likely to be a lot cheaper. Unfortunately for rural broadband users, there’s a bit of a city/country divide with 5G. Only 16% of rural sites have 5G coverage.^[7] If 5G broadband isn’t available for your home, you can probably fall back on 4G.

Satellite broadband will be faster than 4G but a lot more expensive.

FAQ’s

Do you get unlimited data with Starlink Internet?

Yes, all the Starlink Internet packages come with unlimited data, except for the cheaper Roam package with up to 50GB data. Roam 50GB is aimed at infrequent travellers with low usage. The package aimed at people living the van life is Roam Unlimited.

Can you use Starlink as your home internet?

Yes, but for home broadband most people will have better, cheaper options than Starlink. This technology comes into its own when you’re moving around, especially if you’re travelling to remote places.

Can I get Starlink for free?

No, you can’t get Starlink broadband for free. We’ve explained above that you can expect to pay at least £75/month. At the time of writing Starlink doesn’t offer any social tariffs or discounts.

There is a limited amount of help for people affected by natural disasters. In autumn 2024 Starlink announced that it was waiving the monthly subscription costs for customers affected by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. But customers still had to pay for the hardware in the first place, and as of January 2025 they were automatically moved to paid plans.^[8]

Customers affected by the Los Angeles wildfires had similar treatment, with a month’s service credit.

Who installs Starlink in the UK?

Starlink says that their kits are “designed for self-installation” and you can find a set-up guide on their website. (The dish bit doesn’t need to go on your roof - anywhere with a clear view of the sky is fine.)

Starlink doesn’t offer its own installation service but If you want a professional, there’s a search tool on the website to help you find a third-party installer. Starlink won’t take responsibility for anything to do with the installation process and it won’t wait until your dish is up and running to start billing you for the service.

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[1] Tom’s Guide, Starlink internet coverage, cost, speeds and the latest news — what you need to know, Last updated 3 February 2025, Last checked 4 March 2025

[2] Starlink, availability map, Last checked 28 February 2025

[3] Starlink, Service plans, Last checked 28 February 2025

[4] Ofcom, Connected Nations UK report 2024, Published 5 December 2024, Last checked 4 March 2025

[5] 4g.co.uk, How fast are 4G and 5G?, Last checked 29 January 2025

[6] Ofcom, Full-fibre broadband reaches nearly 7 in 10 homes, Published 5 December 2024, Last checked 28 February 2025

[7] Ofcom, Connected Nations UK report, Published 5 December 2024, Last checked 3 March 2025

[7] Starlink, Hurricane Relief (Helene and Milton), Last checked 3 March 2025