Farmers in some of Lincolnshire’s worst broadband ‘not spots’ are being offered Starlink satellite broadband through a new council trial. The scheme is aimed at properties on Lincolnshire County Council’s County Farms estate where fibre broadband isn’t available.
The estate covers around 16,500 acres and contains 149 tenant farms, although the council hasn’t said how many will join the trial. It is now asking interested farmers to come forward so it can choose suitable properties and see where satellite broadband could make the greatest difference.
The council will buy the Starlink equipment and help with installation. Once it is working, each farmer will choose and pay for a monthly package directly from Starlink. The council hasn’t confirmed which packages will be available through the trial or how much participants are likely to pay.
Image Credit: Starlink
One of Starlink’s satellites
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The trial will look at the speeds farms receive, how reliable the connection is and whether the equipment is easy to live with. It will also examine whether better broadband helps with everyday jobs such as accounts, paperwork, livestock management and keeping in touch with customers and suppliers.
Starlink receives broadband from satellites using a dish fitted outside the property. It can bring a fast connection to places that cables haven’t reached, but the dish needs a reasonably clear view of the sky. Trees, buildings and poor positioning can affect the service, making a proper trial more useful than simply accepting the advertised speeds.
If it works well, the council says satellite broadband could be offered more widely to farms and other rural properties unlikely to receive fibre soon. It can be installed much faster than a new fibre network, although it won’t bring a permanent cable to neighbouring homes or remove the need for better rural broadband in the longer term.
