News
The government has announced a trio of new projects, supported by the UK Space Agency, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), and the European Space Agency, aiming to provide reliable, high-speed internet for some of the UK’s hardest-to-reach areas
This week, the UK government has announced new satellite projects aimed at delivering broadband to some of the country’s most remote communities. These projects typically combine the use of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellites to provide improved wireless communication, benefiting both residents and visitors to rural areas.
It should come as little surprise that two of the three projects in the announcement relate to remote islands. These are locations that pose major deployment challenges for terrestrial infrastructure and are rarely populated enough to make such a rollout cost effective for mobile operators. As such, these islands are often left to languish with little or poor-quality connectivity.
The first of these projects takes place on Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland. Located seven miles off the mainland, the island has 141 residents but attracts 40,000 visitors annually. Limited by poor mobile signals and no direct broadband cable, the government’s £2 million pilot project aims to combine GEO and LEO satellite terminals with wireless technologies to deliver improved connectivity for residents, businesses, and tourists.
The second project relates to Papa Stour, one of the most remote Shetland isles. Here, a £1 million project will test similar hybrid networks to provide faster and more reliable internet. This is expected to support conservation efforts, tourism, and the daily lives of residents.
Finally, a third project, dubbed the Nomadic Multi-orbit User Terminal Demonstrator, aims to develop portable satellite terminals capable of delivering gigabit speeds by combining both LEO and GEO satellite signals. These terminals can be mounted on vehicles to rapidly provide connectivity in remote regions, supporting emergency services, farmers, and event organisers in hard-to-reach areas.
The government hopes that these projects will boost education, healthcare, tourism, and local economies while offering a model for expanding connectivity in rural and remote areas across the UK.
“Digital infrastructure is essential for our modern way of life. But for too long, many businesses and communities have felt left behind,” said Telecoms Minster Chris Bryant in a press release.
“This is why we must do whatever it takes to ensure we harness technological innovation to enrich people’s lives and tackle exclusion, rather than entrench existing inequalities. These pilots, for instance, will help shape the next generation of connectivity, using a combination of satellite technology and mobile networks to test innovative new services that could be a real game-changer for remote and rural communities,” he added.
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