What Satellite Broadband Really Costs in the UK

How much is satellite broadband a month?#

Correct as of November 2026. Source: Starlink's UK service plans, Residential and Roam pages, checked 13 November 2026.

Two caveats apply to every figure in that table.

Your address changes the price. Since 30 October 2026 Starlink has adjusted Residential prices by area. ISPreview and its readers recorded the 100 Mbps plan at £32, £36 or £40 for new orders depending on location, and reported that the adjustment could be up to about 20% either side of the list price. The November promotion sits on top of this and is not offered in London and the Home Counties, according to thinkbroadband.

Existing customers do not automatically get new-customer prices. ISPreview readers who were already paying £40 reported that lower area prices applied to new orders only, although some said they obtained a reduction by asking Starlink's support.

For what each plan includes and who it suits, see UK satellite broadband providers compared.

What do you pay upfront?#

Correct as of November 2026. Delivery and installation figures are those shown at Starlink's checkout as reported by ISPreview, UK Satellite Internet and Hardvance; Starlink does not list them on a public page, so confirm them at your own checkout.

Is the Starlink dish free?#

It is free to use, not free to keep. Starlink's rental terms say a rented kit must be returned in good condition if you decide not to proceed or later cancel, and that you will be charged the full price of the kit if you do not. You can ask Starlink to sell you the rented kit through a support ticket.

Rental also carries two restrictions that have a cost for some people: a rented kit cannot be paused, and a rental service line cannot be transferred to another person or address without first changing plan, which Starlink says usually involves a kit buyout or a change fee.

What is the demand surcharge?#

It is a one-off charge Starlink applies in places where its network is busy. Starlink's help centre says the amount depends on your service address and the plan chosen, that it can apply when you start service, change plan or move into a high-demand area, and that it is refunded if you return the hardware within the 30-day trial. In the UK it has mainly affected London and the South East. Your order page shows whether one applies before you pay.

Total cost over 1, 2 and 3 years#

These totals are monthly fees multiplied by the number of months, plus £19 delivery. They assume the price you sign up at does not change, which Starlink does not promise.

At list prices#

At the November 2026 promotional prices#

Calculated from prices correct as of November 2026. Add £74 if you take Starlink's installation on a 100 or 200 Mbps plan, and add any demand surcharge shown at checkout.

The difference between list and promotional pricing is £288 over two years on the entry plan and £576 on Max. If you are eligible and were going to order anyway, signing up before the 30 November deadline is worth doing, but plan your budget around the list price.

What a realistic first year looks like#

A family taking Residential 200 at list price, paying for Starlink's installation and adding one Router Mini (£55) to reach the far end of the house would pay £739 + £74 + £55 = £868 in year one, then £720 in each later year at the same monthly price. Electricity is on top; see below.

What does Roam cost for a motorhome or boat?#

Roam users buy their dish, so the first year carries the hardware.

Calculated from prices correct as of November 2026; delivery on the Mini not included.

The third row shows why Roam suits seasonal travel. Starlink's Standby mode keeps the line alive at up to 500 Kbps between trips. Starlink's site describes the charge only as a small monthly fee; ISPreview reports it as £9 a month in the UK, up from £4.50 before the price rise announced in May 2026. Starlink warns that a line left in Standby for more than 12 consecutive months may be charged a fee or required to move to a paid plan.

The costs people miss#

Price changes#

There is no fixed-price period on any Starlink plan. This is the UK record over the past year, as reported by ISPreview:

The overall direction has been down: a household that would have paid £75 a year ago can now pay £40 or less. But anyone who signed up at £35 in the spring saw a rise within months. Because there is no minimum term, your protection is the ability to leave, not a price guarantee.

Returning the kit#

If you cancel a rented kit and do not send it back in good condition, you pay its full price. Keep the original box, and do not cut or permanently bury the supplied cable.

No pausing on rented kit#

A holiday let or second home on a rented Residential kit pays every month of the year. On Residential 100 at list price that is £480 a year, whether or not anyone is there. If the property is empty for long stretches, compare that with buying a kit outright so that Standby mode is available, and note that Starlink says Standby is not offered on its newest V5 dish.

Wi-Fi coverage#

One router rarely covers a thick-walled farmhouse. Starlink's UK shop lists a Router Mini at £55 for extending coverage, a Router 3 at £120 and a 45 metre cable at £130 if the dish has to sit far from the house. Third-party mesh systems also work.

Installation beyond the basics#

Starlink describes a standard professional installation as a site assessment, mounting the dish with a standard mount, routing the cable to the nearest entry point and setting up the router. Its help centre says pole mounts are not included, removal is not offered, and longer cables, trenching, extended travel and unusual buildings may cost extra. Independent installers set their own prices, so get a written quote that states what is included. What to ask an installer is covered in Living with satellite broadband.

Electricity#

The dish and router run all day. Starlink's V5 specification sheet gives average power consumption of 35 to 50 watts; its Standard 4 specification sheet gives 75 to 100 watts.

Calculated at the Ofgem price cap average electricity unit rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026 (26.32p per kWh, Direct Debit). The cap is reviewed every three months and does not apply in Northern Ireland.

On the larger dish that is the equivalent of an extra £14 to £19 a month, so it belongs in any comparison with fibre or mobile broadband, whose routers typically use far less.

Using a home plan for business#

Residential plans are for household use. A farm office or a holiday-let business that depends on the connection should look at Starlink's business plans, which cost more and are sold with priority data.

How does the cost compare with other rural broadband?#

Satellite is the most expensive mainstream way to get broadband, and the gap is widest against mobile broadband.

Correct as of November 2026. Mobile and fibre examples are promotional deals listed by Broadband Genie in November 2026; they change weekly and depend on coverage at your address. The 5G total assumes a November 2026 start.

Satellite's price is justified only when those cheaper options are unavailable or too slow at your address. Opensignal's rural UK measurements put Starlink's average download at 80.8 Mbps against 24 to 32 Mbps for 4G/5G home broadband, so in the countryside you are often paying more for a much better connection. The full comparison, and the order in which to test each option, is in Satellite vs the alternatives for rural homes.

Can you get help with the cost?#

Rarely, and the options are narrowing.

• England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: the UK Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme closed to new projects on 31 August 2026. It funded fibre builds, not satellite.
• Scotland: the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme, worth up to £5,000 and usable for satellite through registered suppliers, closes to new applications on 20 November 2026.
• Wales: Access Broadband Cymru offers up to £800 (£550 equipment, £250 installation) for any technology delivering 30 Mbps, including satellite. Its application window was closed on 1 May 2026 pending review; check the Welsh Government site for its current status.
• Everywhere: the Universal Service Obligation lets you ask BT for a 10 Mbps connection if no decent service is available for £59.60 a month or less. Starlink's £40 entry plan falls under that threshold, which is why Ofcom now counts it as an affordable option where it is offered.

Details, eligibility and links for each scheme are in our guide to the alternatives and schemes.

How to keep the cost down#

1. Check the cheaper technologies first. A rolling monthly 4G or 5G SIM in a router costs little to try.
2. Order direct for a fixed home. The rented kit removes the hardware cost.
3. Start on the cheapest plan offered at your address. You can upgrade instantly if it is not enough; you cannot get back money spent on speed you did not use.
4. Install it yourself if you safely can. The kit is designed for self-installation, and a ground or wall position often works.
5. Use the 30-day trial properly. Test at peak evening times before the refund window closes.
6. Do not prepay for extras. Add a mesh node or long cable only once you know you need it.
7. Re-check your price twice a year. If new customers in your area are being offered less, ask Starlink's support whether your price can be matched, and remember that you are free to leave.

If you are still deciding whether satellite is right for you at all, start with our complete guide.