London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 05, 2025

Starlink: Elon Musk's satellites to beam high-speed broadband to remote areas of UK in government trial

Starlink: Elon Musk's satellites to beam high-speed broadband to remote areas of UK in government trial

Three locations will have the equipment installed to begin with, allowing them to link up to the satellites and access broadband 10 times faster than previously available.

Elon Musk's Starlink satellites will be used in a UK government trial aimed at helping remote areas of the country get high-speed internet connections.

Three locations will have the equipment installed to begin with, allowing them to link up to the satellites and access broadband 10 times faster than previously available.

The technology allows broadband signals to be beamed down to Earth, in places where there is limited infrastructure on the ground, or it would expensive or difficult to put in.

Starlink boss Elon Musk.

Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire Moors National Park, Wasdale Head in the Lake District and two sites in Snowdonia National Park, including an outdoor activity centre, will be involved in the trial.

"High-speed broadband beamed to Earth from space could be the answer to the connectivity issues suffered by people in premises stuck in the digital slow lane," said Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan.

"These trials aim to find a solution to the prohibitively high cost of rolling out cables to far-flung locations."

Starlink satellites can deliver internet speeds of up to 200 megabits per second (Mbps) - four times faster than the current UK average broadband speed of just over 50Mbps - according to the government, citing recent tests.

The government will begin with Starlink because of "the readiness and availability of its technology".

But it said it was also talking to other provider, such as British satellite company OneWeb, about their possible involvement.
Advertisement

Starlink already has hundreds of thousands of internet users in around 40 countries.

Following the trial, ministers will consider the viability of using satellite technology to connect "very hard to reach" locations.

These are the less than 1% of sites too difficult to upgrade using expensive physical cables, such as small islands or mountainous areas.

Starlink was activated over Ukraine following the Russian invasion in February this year.

Billionaire Musk's system has provided Kyiv with thousands of terminals, allowing Ukrainians to connect to the internet in places out of reach of the domestic system.

Last month, the world's richest man, who also heads up Twitter and Tesla, indicated his SpaceX company will continue funding its Starlink internet service in the war-ravaged country, a day after the 51-year-old tycoon said he couldn't fund the project.

Along with the satellite trial, the UK government has announced a contract, worth more than £100m, with Northern Ireland-based provider Fibrus to build gigabit-capable broadband connections for up to 60,000 rural homes and businesses in Cumbria.

It is the largest contract so far as part of the government's £5bn Project Gigabit scheme to roll out faster internet to all parts of the UK.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
×