Everyone loves to talk about Starlink. I’ll be honest with you, it seems like really cool technology. It’s certainly going through some growing pains, though, and that means I still can’t recommend it to the majority of our marine customers. Why? Take a look at this information (data gathered May 8, 2023 and may not be accurate when you read this:
Neither of those numbers accounts for installation, weatherproofing, the cost of an empty dome to make the Starlink equipment look like it belongs there, and that’s really not the biggest problem. Here’s the biggest problem.
Starlink is an evolving thing. They keep upgrading it and changing it, and that’s great. It will get better and better with each passing year. There’s only one thing to know, though, and that so far each new generation of Starlink has required that you completely throw away your old equipment and buy all new. That’s one thing if you’re paying a couple of hundred dollars for a residential system. It’s another thing altogether if you’re paying multiple thousands of dollars.
So far Starlink has gone through several rounds of this sort of upgrade, and it hasn’t been pretty. I think most people who had the service in the past knew that they were early adopters and were ok with spending more to get the latest and greatest. But, the new wave of Starlink customers isn’t like that. A lot of folks are jumping into Starlink thinking that it’s completely “consumer ready.” It’s not. It’s still changing quickly and if you’re not ready to pay for those changes, you’re going to have some issues.
Starlink provides wireless internet services nearly everywhere. If you cast off from the USA, you’ll be able to get internet all the way to Europe and Asia. But do you actually sail to Europe? Practically all boaters stay within 10 miles of shore practically all the time. And if that sounds like the way you use your boat, there’s a better way.
Cell phone signals travel further over the ocean than they do over land. Why? Because there’s nothing to stop them. No trees, no buildings, nothing. And that’s why you’ll get cell service up to 10 miles offshore where you can only get it about 1.5-2 miles from the tower if you’re on land. Not every area will give you 10 mile range, of course. It depends on where the land-based tower is. If it’s near shore, you’ll get great range, and a lot of towers are.
In order to get the best service, you’ll need to consider two things.
You’ll want a cell phone signal booster like this one. weBoost’s Drive Reach gives superior performance, the maximum allowed by law. This particular package is optimized for RVs, but works perfectly on boats as well. It will give you great cell service even below decks where you probably get no service now.
If you’re going to be doing a lot of surfing and streaming, you’ll probably also want a cellular router with its own data plan. This one will give you great Wi-Fi in the cabin and let you use practically any device, even work computers with VPNs. It has a data plan that’s a lot cheaper than Starlink and the equipment is a lot, lot, lot cheaper.
See, if you get Starlink, you’re more or less on your own. Some marine installers can put it in for you, but it’s up to you to find one. With a cell booster and a cellular router, your equipment comes ready to use. Most folks can do their own installs in about an hour.
Best of all you can get all of this with a heaping helping of customer service. Starlink makes you order through their web site. I guess that’s great if that’s what you want. But if you’re the sort of person who likes personal attention, you’ll want a person. Not just a person but a person who really knows what they’re talking about. You want an expert.
No one has done more marine activations than Signal Connect. We have real, trained experts in our Novi, MI office who will work with you. They won’t send you to some overseas call center or some self-service web site. They’ll take great care of you. Don’t believe me? Try us out!
Call 888-233-7563 during East Coast business hours. That’s when the top experts work. Once you’re connected with someone, ask them if they take calls after hours. Most of them do and will give you their direct line. Now that’s customer service.
Or, if you’re reading this after hours, fill out the form below. We’ll get right back to you!
The post Don’t pay too much for internet on your boat appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
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- Cost of marine equipment (before installation) $2,500
- Lowest priced internet plan: $220/month
Neither of those numbers accounts for installation, weatherproofing, the cost of an empty dome to make the Starlink equipment look like it belongs there, and that’s really not the biggest problem. Here’s the biggest problem.
You might end up spending that same amount next year.
Starlink is an evolving thing. They keep upgrading it and changing it, and that’s great. It will get better and better with each passing year. There’s only one thing to know, though, and that so far each new generation of Starlink has required that you completely throw away your old equipment and buy all new. That’s one thing if you’re paying a couple of hundred dollars for a residential system. It’s another thing altogether if you’re paying multiple thousands of dollars.
So far Starlink has gone through several rounds of this sort of upgrade, and it hasn’t been pretty. I think most people who had the service in the past knew that they were early adopters and were ok with spending more to get the latest and greatest. But, the new wave of Starlink customers isn’t like that. A lot of folks are jumping into Starlink thinking that it’s completely “consumer ready.” It’s not. It’s still changing quickly and if you’re not ready to pay for those changes, you’re going to have some issues.
There’s a better way
Starlink provides wireless internet services nearly everywhere. If you cast off from the USA, you’ll be able to get internet all the way to Europe and Asia. But do you actually sail to Europe? Practically all boaters stay within 10 miles of shore practically all the time. And if that sounds like the way you use your boat, there’s a better way.
Cellular. Like your phone, but better
Cell phone signals travel further over the ocean than they do over land. Why? Because there’s nothing to stop them. No trees, no buildings, nothing. And that’s why you’ll get cell service up to 10 miles offshore where you can only get it about 1.5-2 miles from the tower if you’re on land. Not every area will give you 10 mile range, of course. It depends on where the land-based tower is. If it’s near shore, you’ll get great range, and a lot of towers are.
Just choose the right accessories
In order to get the best service, you’ll need to consider two things.
You’ll want a cell phone signal booster like this one. weBoost’s Drive Reach gives superior performance, the maximum allowed by law. This particular package is optimized for RVs, but works perfectly on boats as well. It will give you great cell service even below decks where you probably get no service now.
If you’re going to be doing a lot of surfing and streaming, you’ll probably also want a cellular router with its own data plan. This one will give you great Wi-Fi in the cabin and let you use practically any device, even work computers with VPNs. It has a data plan that’s a lot cheaper than Starlink and the equipment is a lot, lot, lot cheaper.
Here’s how you put it all together
See, if you get Starlink, you’re more or less on your own. Some marine installers can put it in for you, but it’s up to you to find one. With a cell booster and a cellular router, your equipment comes ready to use. Most folks can do their own installs in about an hour.
Best of all you can get all of this with a heaping helping of customer service. Starlink makes you order through their web site. I guess that’s great if that’s what you want. But if you’re the sort of person who likes personal attention, you’ll want a person. Not just a person but a person who really knows what they’re talking about. You want an expert.
No one has done more marine activations than Signal Connect. We have real, trained experts in our Novi, MI office who will work with you. They won’t send you to some overseas call center or some self-service web site. They’ll take great care of you. Don’t believe me? Try us out!
Call 888-233-7563 during East Coast business hours. That’s when the top experts work. Once you’re connected with someone, ask them if they take calls after hours. Most of them do and will give you their direct line. Now that’s customer service.
Or, if you’re reading this after hours, fill out the form below. We’ll get right back to you!
The post Don’t pay too much for internet on your boat appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
