Elon Musk's Starlink to get bigger slice of UK broadband network
Elon Musk's Starlink is set to be handed a bigger slice of Britain's broadband network amid surging demand for satellite internet services.
Ofcom has outlined proposals to grant new temporary spectrum licences to Starlink for three of its gateway Earth stations.
The stations, which are located at Starlink's existing sites in Hampshire, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, help to connect broadband users by transmitting data between satellites and infrastructure on the ground.
Ofcom said the new licences, which would boost the frequencies that could be used by Starlink, would expand network capacity as demand grows for satellite broadband services.
The regulator is consulting on providing Starlink with temporary access to E band spectrum that would expire at the end of 2028. The licences would be subject to technical conditions to protect other internet and satellite services.
Ofcom said: 'We consider that granting these licences would enable Starlink to increase the capacity of its services, benefiting people and businesses who use these services in the UK.
'This should encourage investment, foster innovation and bolster growth of satellite services in the UK.'
Starlink, a subsidiary of Mr Musk's SpaceX, is one of a number of companies vying to tackle patchy internet coverage in remote rural areas.
It operates a constellation of thousands of low-Earth orbit satellites, which beam down signals to earth in areas that are either too difficult or expensive to reach with traditional infrastructure.
Starlink's technology has proved popular with businesses and consumers in remote areas, while the company has also won public sector contracts including providing internet services to rural NHS GPs and location tracking for ambulance services.
However, Starlink has recently come under scrutiny due to Mr Musk's links to Donald Trump's White House.
The billionaire has courted controversy by suggesting he could turn off Starlink services in Ukraine, which has become heavily reliant on the company to keep it connected to the internet during the war with Russia.
Mr Musk's dominance is facing a further threat from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who is preparing to launch his own satellite broadband service – Project Kuiper – in the UK.
In addition to home broadband, mobile network operators are exploring how to deploy satellite technology to address signal 'not spots' in rural areas amid growing political frustration over poor coverage across the UK.
BT-owned EE and Virgin Media O2 are already trialling Starlink's technology to improve their networks, while T-Mobile is testing services from Mr Musk's company in the US.
Meanwhile Vodafone, which is poised to complete its £15bn merger with Three, has launched its own satellite venture with Texas-based AST SpaceMobile.
Satellite services typically require a receiver that allows the user to connect to the internet. However, Ofcom has cleared the way for mobile companies to sign deals for an upgraded service that allows smartphones to connect directly with satellites.
Any satellite connectivity will augment rather than replace traditional phone networks, while operators are expected to charge extra for the service, similar to roaming fees when travelling abroad.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
36 minutes ago
- The Independent
House prices rise by 0.5% month-on-month in May after April dip
House price growth accelerated in May, amid 'supportive' underlying conditions for home buyers, according to an index. Property values increased by 0.5% month-on-month in May, following a 0.6% fall in April, taking the average UK house price to £273,427, Nationwide Building Society said. The typical UK house price increased by 3.5% annually in May, compared with 3.4% in April. Robert Gardner, Nationwide's chief economist, said: 'Despite wider economic uncertainties in the global economy, underlying conditions for potential home buyers in the UK remain supportive.' A stamp duty holiday ended in March, with recent figures showing there was a stampede to get sales over the line before the deadline, followed by a transactions dip. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) figures published last week showed an estimated 64,680 house sales took place in April – 64% lower than the 177,440 reported in March. The study indicated the figures had been affected by changes to stamp duty rates which apply in England and Northern Ireland. Outlining underlying conditions which could be positive for home buyers, Mr Gardner said: ' Unemployment remains low, earnings are rising at a healthy pace, household balance sheets are strong and borrowing costs are likely to moderate a little if (the Bank of England base rate) is lowered further in the coming quarters as we, and most other analysts, expect.' Iain McKenzie, chief executive of the Guild of Property Professionals, said: 'After the surge in transactions earlier this year, driven by the stamp duty deadline, April's drop in sales was expected. It's likely we'll see a short period of adjustment but agent sentiment, as captured in the latest (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) data, suggests optimism for the second half of the year.' Jason Tebb, president of OnTheMarket, said: 'Even though a considerable number of buyers brought forward transactions to take advantage of the stamp duty concession before it ended in March, there is still plenty of activity in the market now the incentive is no longer available.' He added: 'Lenders have been trimming mortgage rates and easing criteria in recent weeks which should help a little, giving buyers who rely on mortgages more wiggle room.' Alice Haine, a personal finance analyst at Bestinvest by Evelyn Partners, said: 'The traditional surge in listings at this time of year is a positive buyers can take advantage of, as a wider stock of homes to choose from raises the potential for heavier negotiation on price.' Tom Bill, head of UK residential research at Knight Frank said: 'There are tentative signs of momentum in the UK housing market after a slump in activity in April caused by higher rates of stamp duty but a dramatic rebound in prices doesn't feel likely. 'Concerns around inflation and the Government's financial headroom mean mortgage rates don't feel poised to drop meaningfully. Buyers also have a lot of properties to choose from this spring, which we expect to keep downwards pressure on prices in the short term.' David Johnson, managing director of property consultancy Inhous, said: 'Buyer demand picked up immediately after the bank holidays and has remained strong throughout May.' Karen Noye, mortgage expert at wealth manager Quilter said: 'Mortgage rates continue to improve meaning more buyers are finding the confidence to enter the market. 'Although lenders have started to reduce rates, many borrowers are still facing higher monthly costs than they would have a couple of years ago, particularly those coming off ultra-low fixed deals. Affordability stress testing also remains a barrier, with lenders continuing to apply caution particularly for those with smaller deposits or variable income. 'Some existing borrowers are resorting to term extensions or interest-only arrangements to ease the pressure on monthly budgets, but these are not long-term fixes and often result in higher overall repayment costs. 'The underlying issue is that property prices remain significantly out of line with average earnings, particularly in southern England, and that mismatch is limiting how far the market can stretch. 'Looking ahead, if interest rates fall further, we may see further house price increases, but with ongoing economic uncertainty, many would-be movers may decide to hold off until the outlook becomes clearer. The market is still navigating a complex landscape.'
Sky News
37 minutes ago
- Sky News
Starmer puts UK on war footing
👉Listen to Politics at Sam and Anne's on your podcast app👈 Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy serve up their essential guide to the day in British politics. This time last year, Labour and the Conservatives were in the throes of an era-defining election campaign that would end in Sir Keir Starmer winning an extraordinarily large majority. The Reform Party was little more than a buzzing bee amid the backdrop of the UK political landscape. Spin forward 12 months, and how much things have changed. June 2025 marks the start of a crucial month for Sir Keir's Labour Party, with decisions due across a number of departments that will shape the course of this political era. In the coming weeks, we'll see a security strategy, a 10-year NHS strategy, an industrial strategy, and much more - all tied to next week's spending review. Today, it's the turn of military spending, as Defence Secretary John Healey reveals his 'first of a kind' Strategic Defence Review.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Indivior to delist from London Stock Exchange, maintain Nasdaq listing
June 2 (Reuters) - Pharma firm Indivior (INDV.L), opens new tab said on Monday it will cancel its secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange, effective July 25, maintaining its primary listing on the Nasdaq to reduce costs and better align with its U.S.-centric business. The company, known for its opioid addiction treatment, joins a growing number of companies delisting from London, as lower valuations and weak investor appetite continue to drive firms toward U.S. markets. Shares of Indivior, which floated in London in late 2014, have dropped more than 60% from record highs hit in June 2018. The company said over 80% of its revenue now comes from the U.S., with the Nasdaq (NDAQ.O), opens new tab accounting for about 75% of recent trading volumes. The delisting aims to streamline operations and reflect the company's strategic focus on the U.S. market, it said. Indivior moved its primary listing to the United States last year. The decision to delist from London comes just months after Indivior overhauled its management. Earlier this year, it appointed David Wheadon as chair and Joe Ciaffoni as CEO.
