Written by Jack Haddon
BT and Elon Musk’s Starlink are in talks to cover rural parts of the UK with broadband and mobile services.
So far, while BT has inked deals with the Space X backed LEO satellite provider elsewhere, a domestic agreement has not been reached.
But this hasn’t stopped BT from testing Starlink kit at its Adastral Park research centre in Ipswich, UK.
Initially, the technology will be deployed for BT’s business customers, with a specific focus on covering mines and oil rigs with broadband coverage.
While broadband has been Starlink’s bread and butter since launching the first of its 5,000 satellites, it began trialing direct-to-cell services for SMS and expects a launch later this year.
Data services, voice and IoT applications will follow in 2025, meaning a deal with BT and its MNO arm EE could help to eradicate black spots in the UK’s mobile coverage.
