Ferries in Orkney Bring Ultrafast Broadband to Passengers via Starlink
The Scottish Futures Trust has announced that thousands of tourists and travellers in the remote archipelago of Orkney (Northern Scotland) are set to benefit from “complimentary ultra-fast internet access“, which comes after three local ferries were upgraded to harness Starlink’s global LEO satellite broadband network – supporting onboard WiFi.
The upgrade will also benefit ferry staff via enhanced operational efficiency, including improved back-office functions, maintenance tasks, and electronic transactions. In adverse weather conditions, this online connectivity also equips ship captains with more information on weather and sea conditions during their journeys.
The deployment forms part of a 9-month pilot on the Outer North Isles ferry services managed by Orkney Ferries, which has been funded by the Scottish Government (SG) and managed by the Scottish Futures Trust in collaboration with Orkney-based ISP CloudNet IT Solutions, the Orkney Islands Council, Orkney Ferries and Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE).
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The service promises to share onboard broadband speeds of “at least” 200Mbps.
Business Minister, Richard Lochhead, said:
“The technology behind this pilot has a tremendous potential to improve travel for island commuters and visitors.
By trialling advanced connectivity on our public transport, we are not only making journeys much more enjoyable and productive, but also taking a significant step towards bridging the digital divide in our rural and island communities.
This initiative strengthens the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensuring that every citizen, regardless of location, can access improved public services and opportunities.”
Councillor Mellissa Thomson, Chair of the Board of Orkney Ferries, said:
“Some routes can take as long as three hours, making this pilot excellent news for our passengers by providing them a seamless digital service throughout their journey, allowing them to connect with friends, family, or conduct important business.”
Assuming the pilot goes well, which we expect it will (Starlink is already being used on other maritime vessels, such as cruise ships), then we could see the same service being adopted on “other longer ferry routes across Scotland“.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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After considering previous feedback, I will keep it short and to the point.
(Sound of kissing both of Musk’s bottom cheeks)
Is a crass off topic comment supposed to have any point?
This. Who in their right mind is going to publicly advertise they’re using Starlink in the current political climate. I understand some people have no choice, which is sad but inevitable. But they could easily just say they had “wifi” on the ferries without making their customers feel dirty. 🙂
@Harry
I’m guessing that’s a rhetorical question. 🙂
Who cares?
But also kudos to Scottish MPs for completely ignoring the huge and still growing, worldwide “boycott america/musk” movement.
Good luck trying to boycott Google, Amazon, apple, Microsoft, etc while typing things on your device which has Google and/or apple. This “boycott” is the most inorganic Soros funded thing I’ve ever seen
Meanwhile 3 trillion dollar investment in America already underway and Tesla literally surpassing sales numbers with the new model Y being sold out in so many locations, FSD being launched in Europe and new developments coming out with Tesla walls
If anything the actual boycott is on Disney with Snow White empty cinemas everywhere
@John
This site really needs a “flag post as false” button. Unless that’s satire, but it’s so hard to tell these days. 🙂
I have said before, I loath Elon Musk but as someone who lives in some of the most remote parts of the rural Highlands and Islands where often there isn’t any kind of mobile signal, Starlink is a necessity. I will hold my nose and use it. I think this is the attitude of a lot of folks in these parts.