Internet at sea: 5G, Satellite, Starlink, which solution should you choose?
When we're sailing at sea, staying connected to the Internet has become a necessity for many people, whether they're yachtsmen, sailors or businesses operating on the high seas.
However, connectivity at sea presents unique challenges, with areas where 4G and 5G coverage along the coast may be limited or non-existent.
That's why it's essential to explore different solutions for connecting to the Internet on the open sea.
In this article, we'll look at the benefits, costs and performance of different solutions to determine which is the best option for ensuring fast, reliable connectivity at sea.
Near the coast: rely on the traditional network
4G and 5G coverage along the French coast has improved considerably in recent years. Telecoms operators have deployed infrastructure to ensure fast, reliable connectivity for terrestrial users.
As a reminder, thea 4G offers a theoretical maximum throughput of 112.5 Mbps. The 4G+, which is an evolution of the 4G network, offers a theoretical maximum speed of 187.5 Mbps, but it can reach up to 300 Mbps or even 500 Mbps. As for 5G, which is the latest generation of mobile internet network, it offers a theoretical maximum throughput exceeding 1 Gbps.
However, the range of 4G and 5G signals has its limits. In general, coverage can extend up to 10 to 15 kilometres from the coast, depending on various factors such as topography and natural obstacles.
Beyond this distance, signal reception can become weak or non-existent, making it difficult or impossible to connect to the Internet via these networks.
Open ocean solutions
To fill this connectivity gap, various solutions can be considered.
Directional antennas
A commonly used option is the use of directional antennas to pick up signals from terrestrial relays located on the coast.
These antennas, mounted on the boat, can improve reception, but they generally need to be pointed towards the source of the signal, which can be restrictive in open sea.
The price of these antennas is extremely variable, ranging from around a hundred euros to €2,000 for the most high-performance models.
Traditional satellites
Another alternative is to use satellite networks dedicated to communication at sea. These networks, such as Iridium and Inmarsat, offer global coverage and reliable connectivity in remote coastal areas. However, these solutions can be expensive and connection speeds limited.
Iridium Go
The Iridium GO hotspot is available to buy individually for €924 inc VAT. It also comes in a 'marine' pack that includes an external antenna and other accessories for €1380 inc VAT.
There is a prepaid annual subscription option that offers 3,000 text messages or 1,000 voice minutes or 30,000 units for €870 excluding VAT. Another option is the "unlimited data" subscription priced at €179 excluding VAT per month.
However, the'Iridium GO only offers a transmission speed of 2.4 kbps (kilobits per second)! In terms of bandwidth and throughput, this translates into 18 kb (kilobytes) per minute or 1 MB (megabyte) per hour.
It's hard to talk about a usable solution for the modern internet, as this usage is only relevant for emails. But if anything goes wrong, you'll be perfectly capable of communicating with the outside world!
Inmarsat
Inmarsat, too, is a solution more readily aimed at telephony, because in its Standard Plan (Inmarsat Fleet Broadband), the monthly subscription is charged €480.00 excluding VAT, for just 25 MB of data, and billing in 0.02 MB increments beyond that.
In terms of equipment, the SAILOR Fleet One is priced at €4,990 excluding VAT and provides data connectivity at up to 100 kbps and voice calls (to a single number).
So an expensive offer, but the advantage of Inmarsat is that it is available in the vast majority of the planet, thanks to the intervention of 3 satellite networks.
What about Starlink in all this?
Another more recent and very promising satellite internet connection solution is that offered by Starlink, a division of SpaceX, Elon Musk's company.
Starlink uses a network of thousands of low-earth orbit satellites to provide high-speed Internet connectivity, even in remote areas and on the open sea.
Starlink operation: how it works
Starlink uses a constellation of satellites in orbit, currently consisting of around 3,000 satellites.
By 2025, SpaceX expects to have around 12,000 in service.
These satellites exchange data via laser links, providing a quality connection with low latency.
Satellites transmit data to various base stations, which then relay it to end users via satellite dishes.
Starlink connection speed: what speeds? Comparison.
The initial tests and feedback have been encouraging, with download speeds of up to several hundred megabits per second, and the official Starlink website reports internet connections of up to 220 Mbit/s.
| Upslope flows | Downstream flows | Latency time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geostationary satellite | between 2 and 8 Mbit/s | between 10 and 100 Mbit/s | 600 millisecondes |
| ADSL | 1 Mbit/s | 20 Mbit/s | between 40 and 80 milliseconds |
| VDSL 2 | 8 Mbit/s | 100 Mbit/s | 25 milliseconds |
| 4G | 8 Mbps | between 50 and 100 Mbit/s | 40 milliseconds |
| Optical fibre | 1 Gbit/s | 1 Gbit/s | 10 milliseconds |
| Starlink | 8 to 25 Mbps | between 40 and 220 Mbits/s | less than 99 milliseconds |
Geographical availability of Starlink: where to sail
Starlink is available in countries where it has government approval to provide its services.
At the time of writing, these are the areas where you will be able to access the Starlink network from your boat:
| États-Unis | Barbade |
| Canada | Bulgarie |
| Australie | Croatie |
| Nouvelle-Zélande | Tchéquie |
| Royaume-Uni | Danemark |
| Allemagne | Estonie |
| Italy | Finlande |
| Chile | French Guiana |
| Pologne | Guadeloupe |
| Switzerland | Guernesey |
| Autriche | Mayotte |
| Belgique | Portugal |
| Porto Rico | Saint-Barthélemy |
| Norvège | Slovaquie |
| France | Sweden |
| Slovénie | Islande |
| Pays-Bas | Irlande |
| Dominican Republic | Isle of Man |
| Jersey | Lettonie |
| Lituanie | Luxembourg |
| Macédoine | Malta |
| Martinique | Philippines |
| Roumanie | Saint-Martin |
| U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) | Panama |
| Brazil |
Starlink pricing for boats: how much does it cost?
There are currently three options available for Starlink subscriptions at sea, depending on your data usage:
- 50GB (€287/month) - Sufficient for personal use.
- 1TB (€1128/month) - Suitable for businesses working offshore.
- 5TB (€5656/month) - Recommended for researchers, media and businesses requiring constant Internet access.
Note that you can suspend and reactivate Starlink at any time, with billing coming in one-month increments, and that the company is offering a 30-day free trial for its offer.
To these subscriptions must be added the cost of the equipment, which is €2867 when initially purchased for the maritime solution. (See prices on the Starlink website).
This equipment is obviously designed specifically for the extreme conditions of the open sea, and can withstand wind gusts in excess of 280 km/h.
Also, the Starlink app available on iOS and Android allows you to determine the best installation location on your boat.
Conclusion
Internet access at sea presents unique challenges, as 4G and 5G coverage near the coast can be limited.
Various options are available, each with its advantages and disadvantages.
Directional antennas improve reception, but need to be pointed towards the signal source.
Traditional satellite networks offer global coverage but at high cost and with limited connection speeds, corresponding more to satellite phones than true internet terminals.
Starlink, with its constellation of low-orbit satellites, promises high-speed connectivity even on the open sea, even if its current deployment does not yet cover the whole planet.
The choice will therefore depend on your needs (emergencies? leisure?), your budget, and geographical availability (sailing close to the coast or not, covered by Starlink or not).
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