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Starlink now available to UK addresses

If you have stable FTTC, that's great ...
I bet there are a lot of disgruntled FTTC and Virginmedia customers who would switch, not only in rural areas.

Last summer my line failed and they couldn't fix it. I'm in NLondon, I got lucky with mobile data from EE, but before that I did check the status of Starlink and would've signed up if it was an option.

The latency can be ok, not much worse than mobile data. Initial usage shows an avg of 30ms which is suitable for most things. After all, light goes faster through air than through glass.

It'll be a game changer and I hope it'll put some fire under the arses of mobile operators.
 
Way too expensive to be mainstream. I'm curious how much 'normal' satellite and unusual configurations cost?

For the US market this is fairly reasonably priced but for the UK market where you can get basic unlimited via fixed or mobile lines for about 20 quid it's huge.
 
Probably gonna keep my FTTC due to some of the comments ;-)
 
Way too expensive to be mainstream. I'm curious how much 'normal' satellite and unusual configurations cost?

For the US market this is fairly reasonably priced but for the UK market where you can get basic unlimited via fixed or mobile lines for about 20 quid it's huge.
Depends how you look at it. The target market for Starlink are likely to be paying far more than £20 and getting a poor service, and they might already be paying fairly large sums to. bond lines or use 4G type things, so ultimately if they can have good speed, good latency service for £90 a month you can bet people will take it in a heartbeat.
 
I just had the feeling the way Starlink were talking about this global internet service that it would be a bit more mainstream. With these prices in the UK market it's definitely geared towards a very specific niche that's currently underserved.

Perhaps that's just the beginning.
 
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I just had the feeling the way Starlink were talking about this global internet service that it would be a bit more mainstream. With these prices in the UK market it's definitely geared towards a very specific niche that's currently underserved.

Perhaps that's just the beginning.

It's also the sort of thing that needs to be considered on a country basis - the UK is actually pretty cheap for internet service. it might not always be the fastest, but it is usually quite low price - $89 in the US is not really that far off the normal price.

For example AT&T will typically offer stuff like ADSL2+ for $45 - but that's not the price, because you have to add local taxes and so on, often a mandatory fee for the equipment etc, another $10, so once taxes etc are done, you're at potentially more like $70-$75 - and that's an "offer" price with $10 off, so it's usually more like $85...

Pricing is also heavily variable, varies by state, varies by area - essentially the less competition there is (and often there is very little, if any), the more you pay - so the UK is very lucky in many respects to have such a wide and diverse set of options, making Starlink seem expensive.

You can bet that people in more rural locations are either unable to get service (plenty with no service whatsoever) or a really really poor speed - so if you had no mobile (cellphone) coverage, and next to sod all internet, the price is super competitive and a no brainer.

Starlink isn't cheaper to run when the satellites fly over the UK, and it's considerably more expensive to deploy an absolute boatload of satellites, maintain and replace them than it is for Openreach to fart arse around slowly deploying various stop-gap options for people.

Will prices come down? Probably yeah, but if you had to recoup billions, you might have to charge something that reflects the non-trivial startup costs.
 
For the US market this is fairly reasonably priced but for the UK market where you can get basic unlimited via fixed or mobile lines for about 20 quid it's huge.

There are a LOT of areas where you can't get decent broadband due to rotten copper(*) or "being rural" (even being on the edge of a town is enough to make service difficult/impossible)

(*) I've had 29 DSL disconnections today and my supposedly 80/20 service is at 16/4 on a 198 metre line - it's been playing up like this for 17 YEARS (DSL issues before VDSL) and BTOR keep coming out to say "no fault found" - whereupon it mysteriously works fine for another month. Occasionally they find a "Wet cable" or foreign battery and "solve" this by playing musical cable pairs (immediately giving YOUR fault to someone else until they complain loudly - at which point you risk being musically put back on the faulty pair)

There are areas of CENTRAL LONDON (particularly Docklands) where you can't get DSL because BT have decided their expensive leased data circuits are too much of a moneyspinner to risk DSL or GPON cannabilising the business
 
Unrelated but I think to solve all of these issues Openreach should really become a government entity whose purpose is to serve every address with fibre, then let providers provide service over it at a reasonable price.
 
That's madness! What would be next, the railways? ;-)
 
Got an email today from Starlink that it was available to order too. It wasn't available for order a few weeks ago. I got a bit put off by the timer on the website after clicking the link telling me I had 5 minutes to order it...

Text of the email:

Starlink is now available for order to a limited number of users in your coverage area. Placing your order now will hold your place in line for future service. Orders will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis.
During beta, users can expect to see data speeds vary from 50Mb/s to 150Mb/s and latency from 20ms to 40ms in most locations over the next several months as we enhance the Starlink system. There will also be brief periods of no connectivity at all.

As we launch more satellites, install more ground stations and improve our networking software, data speed, latency and uptime will improve dramatically.

The Starlink team will provide periodic updates on availability as we launch more satellites and expand our coverage area. Depending on your location, some orders may take 6 months or more to fulfill.

If it were my only broadband option, I would proceed. But a possible wait of 6 months, pushy sales tactics and potentially no connectivity at all doesn't justify the cost IMHO. But it is certainly very interesting nonetheless.
 
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Yep, got that too, think they've been sending them out in batches for the pre-order scheme over the past few weeks. But it's not clear how long people will have to wait to receive the kit. I am contemplating an order just so that I can experiment and write about it.. but it is quite pricey.
 
They give you a limited window because they literally do only allow so many orders in a given area and have so much kit, and limit the window once you start ordering to 15 minutes before the order is abandoned (nothing stopping you just coming back later and trying again assuming they have kit left)..

The same way ticket sales work for major events - otherwise you can easily end up with all the tickets "half" purchased - and thus a load unsold in the end. Nothing weird, pushy or anything about it.
 
They give you a limited window because they literally do only allow so many orders in a given area and have so much kit, and limit the window once you start ordering to 15 minutes before the order is abandoned (nothing stopping you just coming back later and trying again assuming they have kit left)..

The same way ticket sales work for major events - otherwise you can easily end up with all the tickets "half" purchased - and thus a load unsold in the end. Nothing weird, pushy or anything about it.

I guess i just didn't get why they had to put a 5 min timer on the order page. It's not even enough time to digest the info on the page. Kinda felt like order now! your special offer ends in 4:59... I'm like @Mark.J I don't really need it but I'd be interested in ordering just to try it out. I know it's expensive, and my mobile option is doing very well since I ditched VM. Might do it one night when i've had too many beverages , might not.
 
I guess i just didn't get why they had to put a 5 min timer on the order page. It's not even enough time to digest the info on the page. Kinda felt like order now! your special offer ends in 4:59... I'm like @Mark.J I don't really need it but I'd be interested in ordering just to try it out. I know it's expensive, and my mobile option is doing very well since I ditched VM. Might do it one night when i've had too many beverages , might not.
It's a 15 minute timer...

14:59 "Orders must be completed in the time remaining. If time expires, you will be redirected to the main landing page."
 
It's a 15 minute timer...

14:59 "Orders must be completed in the time remaining. If time expires, you will be redirected to the main landing page."

Guess i need new glasses...
 
Doesn't look like they install it either, just drop off the kit. there ya go. Ok it also supports ground mounds but have to factor installation into the price.
 
Yep, got that too, think they've been sending them out in batches for the pre-order scheme over the past few weeks. But it's not clear how long people will have to wait to receive the kit. I am contemplating an order just so that I can experiment and write about it.. but it is quite pricey.
Why don’t you start a little fund on the forum?

I’m sure a few people would happily contribute so you can try it for a few months.
 
So you can actually download the starlink app (google/IOS) and check for "obstructions" in your location.

i'm not really sure what the app is supposed to say but photos below. I tried it in all possible orientations and yes pointed it directly up at the sky

Front yard (totally unobstructed view of the sky, no houses or trees for about a mile)

Screenshot-20210225-002024542.jpg


Back yard (obstructed by my actual house if i point it at at the house, but the neighbours sky dish points directly at my house and works apparently)

Screenshot-20210225-001746439.jpg


I will try it again during the day time, since I guess the camera is looking for objects. Probably not the best at night...

Considering the order (just for the S***s and giggles) I guess I could buy and return it, their website says you've got 30 days if it's undamaged.

If Mark doesn't want to go for it, anyone want to crowdfund me ? :LOL: I promise to write about it here and test whatever you want.
 
Figured out the app / obstructions bit.

There's a very narrow strip that I guess at my location runs sort of diagonally across the sky. The app draws black borders where you shouldn't point the phone. But if it sees obstructions it will say turn phone to left, aim phone at sky etc. Not very exciting. Was hoping it might actually find a satellite and tell me it had found it (sort of like google sky map)
 
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