Live in an internet blackspot? BT and EE are launching 280mbps satellite broadband just for you
BT has teamed up with Starlink to roll-out a satellite-powered broadband service for rural areas in 2026 – good news to those with 3Mbps.
If you live somewhere that qualifies as ‘scenic’ on estate agent websites but really just means no broadband, there might finally be some good news. BT is partnering with Starlink to roll out broadband with speeds up to 280Mbps to rural parts of the UK.
The plan is to offer Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellite internet through BT and EE, specifically targeting places where digging trenches for fibre is either too expensive or too awkward. Starlink has a network of more than 650 satellites whizzing around in low-Earth orbit, acting like mobile towers in the sky.
Starlink’s service can hit up to 280 Mbps. That’s not going to replace full-fibre offerings, but for anyone in rural Scotland or the back end of Cornwall, it’s a massive step up from 3Mbps on a good day. All you’ll need to do is stick a dish on your roof and point it at the sky – much less work than installing fibre cables.
This isn’t the same as Virgin Media O2’s Direct to Cell partnership with Starlink. That offering is focused on smartphone connectivity, where the satellites connect to your 4G phone. BT’s new plan will be home broadband.
BT says the new service will be available in the second half of 2026, but that only applies to some pilot installs in “selected areas” of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the more neglected bits of England. A proper national roll-out will follow, but don’t start cancelling your existing contract just yet. There’s no word yet, but you can register your interest now via EE’s site.
Connor Jewiss
