BT and EE to Sell Starlink as UK Rural Broadband Solution to Customers
Telecoms giant BT (EE) has this morning announced a “landmark agreement” to make Starlink’s mega constellation of ultrafast broadband satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) available to their consumer broadband customers in “rural and remote areas“, where traditional fixed-line infrastructure is “economically unviable or geographically challenging” to build.
The announcement doesn’t provide a lot of information on how this will be deployed, but it does state that Starlink is “quick to deploy and capable of delivering download speeds of up to 280 Mbps“. The collaboration is also curiously described as being a “first in the UK and one of the first globally“, although we’re not currently sure what makes this a “first” – Starlink is already used by other providers, sometimes they just resell the service and other times it’s adopted as backhaul for an existing network.
The new service is currently expected to be available to customers in the “latter half of 2026” and we assume BT / EE must be planning to do something a bit different from merely reselling the same product that consumers can already buy, today, directly from Starlink itself. The move comes shortly after O2 announced that they’d also be harnessing Starlink, albeit to connect their roaming mobile users via Direct to Cell (here).
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Allison Kirkby, CEO of BT Group, said:
“As we create a better BT for all of us, no one is doing more to connect the UK than we are. This landmark agreement with Starlink is a giant leap for rural connectivity – allowing us to get fast and reliable in-home connectivity to our customers in some of the UK’s most rural and isolated areas and to bridge the digital divide better than ever.”
Chad Gibbs, VP of Business Operations at SpaceX, said:
“On behalf of Starlink, we’re excited to team up with BT Group and bring high-speed internet to more people across the UK. Their local presence will help us reach those communities which have historically faced challenges with reliable connectivity. Starlink is committed to its mission to connect the unconnected while maintaining focus on delivering overall quality of service.”
Starlink currently has almost 8,900 satellites in orbit (c.5,300 are v2 / V2 Mini) – mostly at altitudes of c.500-600km – and rising. Residential customers in the UK usually pay from £75 a month, plus £299 for hardware (currently free for most areas) on the ‘Standard’ unlimited data plan (kit price may vary due to different offers) directly from Starlink, which promises UK latency times of 26-33ms, downloads of 116-277Mbps and uploads of 17-32Mbps. Cheaper and more restrictive options also exist for roaming users.
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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Rather a shame to see this particular tie up. I’d like to see more use of OneWeb considering the country is literally invested in it. But then I’m also not sure how much of a market BT thinks they have for this given extensive mobile and fibre coverage.
Going by the version of Starlink that Telstra re-sells in Australia, I doubt it’ll be anything spectacular. I think the key difference is that they handle the front line support and they provide their own router and VoIP service.
Simply put- oneweb doesn’t have the capacity.
Each ‘beam’ has a diameter of over 200km, and each one of those can support up to 300 users at 200 mbps.
SpaceX have beams as narrow as 15km, and can support 500+ users in each of those beams at 200+mbps.
SpaceX have capacity issues as i understand it, their satellites are able to offer more but the uplink stations are maxed out – hence the recent extra frequencies they were given not too long ago- this situation will massively improve once the new V3 satellites go up..
I know of over 10 houses in my little village in Suffolk that are using Starlink, I use it as a backup as I have 76 Mbps FTTC, which is manageable, but i do have a Starlink dish that’s mounted and ready to go at a moments notice if my line goes down (as it has previously). Hopefully CityFibre will arrive soon!
The best 4/5g signal i can get here tops out at 11 mbps, with a good antenna I found i could get 25 – but even that’s not enough, so i returned it.
OneWeb does have the capacity when you set expectations accordingly. This is about meeting the universal service obligation, rather than attempting to provide fibre like performance (which even starlink can’t do – see what happens in the US where large numbers of people really do rely on it).
I would presume we’re talking extremely small numbers of customers in very sparsely populated areas. Rural Suffolk would be a megacity by comparison. OneWeb would work fine. BT themselves have used it to provide backhaul services to great (self reported) success.
In your case, BT would not provide a Starlink based service because FTTC is available, and therefore it seems likely that Openreach will eventually upgrade you to FTTP regardless of whether or not Cityfibre show up. You are not the target customer.
Where do you get the idea rural suffolk isn’t the target customer? They mention rural england, and parts of suffolk are certainly rural. As rural as northern scotland etc? no – but none of us know where they will draw that line.
Openreach have no current plans to offer FTTP to any of the local villages, there are a lot of rural farms / isolated properties that have Openreach FTTP due to the USO, that obviously doesn’t help most of us. Will they arrive at some point? Possibly – but likely not until CityFibre are here, which looks to be 2027 at the moment.
You have an opinion on oneweb, however clearly BT have decided on SpaceX – i believe this is due to capacity, and ability to scale. I looked at the technical abilities of oneweb when they were announed and was very underwhelmed when compared to what starlink offers, my feeling is BT had the same view.
Oneweb offers 1 satellite in view most of the time, with 1 beam available – so across 2-300 km diameter area all users are sharing < 800 mbps. You'd have 800 mbps for every single covered property in Scotland, and a similar amount for every single covered property in England, it could end up being less than this if the beams straddle Scotland and England.
800 mbps across every single rural property in those two areas isn't about setting expectations – it would be planning to fail, which clearly BT aren't willing to do (in this instance!)
Yup. Having critical infrastructure under the control of the man baby who can turn it off because someone said something that hurts his feelings. What could possibly go wrong.
Some people might think, oh there will be a contract and he can’t just shut it off without a hefty lawsuit. But really, does anyone seriously think taking him to court will actually be a threat to him?
Grow up
£75 a month ?!?!?… Is Bt/EE deranged ?
Within the last two months, Openfarce have installed FTTP to a pole outside my home which then makes it available to 2, yes 2, rural propertys. 550m trench dug, pipe installed over 2 days with a team of 7 blokes. COnnected to a box on the pole.
NEITHER of the premises need it as both are on Airband over the air feeds at 80meg download availability. More than sufficient
So, why has Openfarce installed to a position that no one needs…..It’s an install increase in some rural areas to probe Blitich Terrorcon are making progress….even if no one wants or needs it
My broadband monthly is £19.
No, that’s Starlink’s direct pricing. We don’t yet know what BT/EE will charge or how they’ll approach this, but it does seem like they’re going for more of a reseller mould and so pricing will probably be similar.
Probably because there is a rural broadband programme in your area and those properties were in scope. It doesn’t matter whether you want or need it today. Lots of people want it and need it.
You’ll be thankful of fibre from the companies that you’ve chosen to call childish names when you decide you want more speed or when “Airband” give up the ghost.
“NEITHER of the premises need it as both are on Airband over the air feeds at 80meg download availability. More than sufficient”
I can assure you for now it is, but as we are rapidly relying in digital infrastructure and more and more digital only services. 80mbps in time wont be enough to download that software up, to stream that video, to watch terrestrial TV…
Openreach have given you a FTTP connection capable of 1.6gbps. better value than the 80mbps airband..
And if Openreach didn’t have fibre to your home available you’d be complaining that you’re forced into another provider since they won’t provide for you.
You’ve got a faster and more reliable service now available to you. You’ve been offered choice. What if someone moves into one of those homes and wants fibre? Sod them because you were happy with your cheap service? Grow up and have a bit of respect for the workers in what was clearly a complex rural job, you’ve shown them nothing but disrespect here and whatever your weird issue is with or has nothing to do with them.
@Rob Watson – good for you, but THIS is a great example of short-sighted NIMBYism. Fine, you don’t want FTTP right now. But what about in 2 years time, in 5 years, in 10? When you come to sell your property, will crap connectivity affect the value? Whoever moves in to the property after you will almost certainly want or need gigabit capable connectivity. This may come as a shock, but the telecoms industry, or Government for that matter, aren’t concerned about your personal feelings when deciding national policies, they look at the BIG picture. Gigabit availability increases economic opportunities and outcomes, and creates equality of access to services – simple. Once its built, you have the prerogative to not use it.
I wonder if BT will also tie up with SpaceX/Starlink for the DtC (satellite mobile) like the one that O2 have just announced.
There are two viable options in this space, ASTS which is technically a better solution as things stand today, but have only 6 satellites in orbit (they need 10 times this many to offer a commercial service – however it promises full data + calls from launch, seamless roaming from terrestrial to sat) – or SpaceX (today offers less features, and only basic data (maps/whatsapp etc), and roaming is a bit less seamless) – however have plans to scale enormously – 15,000 DtC satellites.
So,
1. Receive public funds to provide coverage in rural areas.
2. Pressure the government by threatening to withdraw from step 1 unless tax relief is granted.
3. Resell third-party services funded by foreign capital, taking a commission from the same people you failed to serve with public money.
The public money is only paid out when the coverage has been delivered. So no.
Shakeing my head in disbelief, why? Mobile broadband broadband kicks the behind of starlink, and there is no roaming premium
Are you feeling ok?
If in the rural location they can’t get fibre broadband then in all likelihood they can’t get a good 4g or 5g signal for mobile broadband.
We don’t all live in a mobile utopia like you
Except, mobile coverage is not great everywhere. No 5G in my area, 4G maxes out around 35Mbps download (and thats EE). No FTTP either, and my FTTC connection gives me a whopping 16Mbps. Fixed Wireless or LEO Satellite are my only options for superfast broadband, and I won’t be getting gigabit capable broadband until 2030(ish) through Project Gigabit. This isn’t going to be a mainstream product, but will capitalise on that 1-5% of UK properties that are stuck between dial-up and a hard place.
My best mobile option is 11mbps with O2.
Vodafone and Three I get 1-2mbps, EE – no signal.
We all live in different situations, and BT is on the ball on this one – no one else can offer what starlink does today.
Perhaps in the future Kuiper will be a competitor – but as things stand right now Starlink is some people’s only viable option.
Good news. It makes sense to use satellites for users in remote areas and limit fibre installation to areas where there are sufficient customers to justify the investment.
I’m curious how this will differ from just buying from Starlink directly, in theory they could include VOIP, discounts, extras, etc. or whether this will just be Starlink as is but via a proxy for marketing/form ticking.
Is this one means of easing the deployment speed of Fibre? Or is planned to be a replacement where the provision costs out way the return?
It’s competition with the AltNets at the AltNets provision level. One can hope it’s an expedient measure.
Residential customers in the UK usually pay from £75 a month
Are BT/EE having a laugh?
No ones will NOT paying that! – no bloody chance BT/EE
but those with no better option will and are paying that
Phil
If you had no coverage 75 quid for unlimited ultrafast is worth it. FTTP used to cost £60 a month. Example being what if you lived in the Falklands?