Starlink: Satellite Internet Reimagined

Starlink is a satellite internet service from SpaceX that uses thousands of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to deliver broadband internet anywhere on Earth. Unlike traditional satellite internet (which was slow and laggy), Starlink offers speeds and latency that are genuinely usable for business.

For businesses in rural Northern Ireland where fibre and even 4G coverage is limited, Starlink has been transformative.

How Starlink Works

Traditional satellite internet uses a few large satellites in geostationary orbit (36,000km above Earth). The huge distance means high latency (600ms+), making video calls and VoIP impossible.

Starlink is different:

• Low orbit: Starlink satellites orbit at just 550km — 65x closer than traditional satellites
• Thousands of satellites: Over 5,000 satellites form a mesh network covering the globe
• Low latency: 20-40ms — comparable to 4G and usable for real-time applications
• Self-installing dish: The Starlink dish (called "Dishy") automatically aligns itself to find satellites

Starlink Performance for Business

• Download speeds: 50-200Mbps (varies by location and congestion)
• Upload speeds: 10-20Mbps
• Latency: 20-40ms typical
• Reliability: Generally good, but brief dropouts can occur as the dish switches between satellites

These speeds are more than adequate for a small business running VoIP phones, video conferencing, email, and cloud applications. The latency is low enough for real-time communication — a massive improvement over traditional satellite.

Starlink Plans and Pricing

• Starlink Residential: £75/month + £449 for hardware
• Starlink Business: £175/month + £2,100 for hardware — higher speeds, priority data, and a larger dish
• Starlink Priority: Various tiers with guaranteed priority data allowances

For most small businesses, the residential plan is sufficient. The business plan is worth considering if you need higher speeds and priority during peak times.

Installation and Setup

Starlink is remarkably easy to set up:

• Mount the dish with a clear view of the sky (roof, pole, or ground mount)
• Plug in the power cable and connect to the Starlink router
• The dish automatically aligns itself — no engineer needed
• Download the Starlink app to manage your connection
• You're online in about 20 minutes

The dish needs a clear view of the northern sky. Trees, buildings, and other obstructions can cause brief signal dropouts. The Starlink app includes an obstruction checker to help you find the best mounting location.

Starlink for Business: Pros and Cons

Pros

• Available anywhere with a clear sky view — no infrastructure needed
• Fast enough for most business applications including VoIP
• Easy self-installation
• No contracts — cancel anytime
• Completely independent of ground-based infrastructure
• Excellent as a backup internet connection

Cons

• Speeds can vary — not as consistent as fibre
• Brief dropouts during satellite handovers
• Higher latency than fibre (20-40ms vs 5-15ms)
• Upload speeds are limited (10-20Mbps)
• No SLA or guaranteed uptime
• Weather can affect performance (heavy rain/snow)
• Dish needs clear sky view — not suitable for all locations

Starlink vs Other Options

For a detailed comparison, see our guide on Starlink vs 5G vs fibre broadband. In summary:

• Starlink vs Fibre: Fibre is faster and more consistent, but not available everywhere
• Starlink vs 4G/5G: 4G/5G is faster where coverage exists, but Starlink works where mobile coverage doesn't
• Starlink vs Traditional Satellite: Starlink is dramatically faster with much lower latency