James Moore, director at Bishop’s Stortford-based Genmar IT, writes for the Indie…
When it comes to rural broadband, Britain is lagging behind other countries.
According to Ofcom’s Connected Nations report, released in May this year, the UK ranks 21st for fixed broadband speeds, with an average download speed of 40Mb/s (megabits per second).
This puts us behind countries such as Romania and Poland, where download speeds are almost twice as fast at 72Mb/s and 69Mb/s respectively.
To help it achieve its ambition of providing ultrafast internet to all homes across the country, the Government is testing out Elon Musk’s satellite broadband service Starlink.
According to a Government announcement last Wednesday (November 30), 3,000 Starlink satellites will be deployed across the UK to provide connectivity to a few specific, isolated sites, including a 12th-century abbey in the North York Moors National Park and rescue operations in the Lake District and Snowdonia National Park.
Recent tests have shown that, in many locations, Starlink satellites can deliver internet speeds of up to 200Mb/s – which is more than four times faster than the current UK average.
What has raised eyebrows is that the Government has chosen not to use OneWeb, the British satellite broadband firm in which it invested hundreds of millions of pounds just two years ago to save it from bankruptcy, for the trial.
It’s not clear how much the Government will be paying Starlink, but it costs about £89 per month for ordinary customers after the £529 fee for the equipment.
If you have any questions about what type of broadband is best for your home or business, please do get in touch with us at Genmar.co.uk and we will be happy to help.
