The Government’s trial to use Starlink as a solution for connecting hard-to-reach areas of the UK is a “time-consuming and unnecessary distraction”, according to David Hennell, Business Development Director at National Broadband.
Starlink satellites are being trailed in three areas where broadband infrastructure is limited, reports Sky News.
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan states that the trial is designed to find an alternative to the “prohibitively high cost of rolling out cables to far-flung locations."
Hennell responds that 4G broadband is a much more apt alternative.
He said: “This technology is available immediately and for less than half the price of Starlink, from both a set-up and ongoing monthly cost point of view.
“Crucially, 4G broadband is a solution that can be used right now to enable those ‘notspots’, the 500,000+ primarily rural UK homes and businesses that currently have under 10Mbps.
“What’s more, there is already another solution on the horizon - low-band 5G, which will offer rural ‘notspots’ broadband speeds of between 60 and 70Mbps. This service should again be markedly cheaper than Starlink.
“If the government is serious about closing the digital divide for all as rapidly as possible, as part of the connectivity mix it must focus on leveraging existing technologies which already offer effective and affordable solutions today.”