Connectivity at sea: 5G, Satellite, Starlink, which solution to choose?
When we're at sea, staying connected to the Internet has become a necessity for many people, whether they're yachtsmen, sailors or companies operating on the high seas.
However, connectivity at sea presents unique challenges, with areas where 4G and 5G coverage along the coast can be limited or non-existent.
That's why it's essential to explore different solutions for connecting to the Internet on the high seas.
In this article, we'll take a look at the benefits, costs and performance of the 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 coastline has progressed considerably in recent years. Telecom operators have deployed infrastructure to ensure fast, reliable connectivity for land-based users.
As a reminder, 4G offers a theoretical maximum speed of 112.5 Mbps. 4G+, which is an evolution of the 4G network, offers a theoretical maximum throughput of 187.5 Mbps, but 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 kilometers 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 sea solutions
To bridge this connectivity gap, a number of solutions are available.
Directional antennas
A commonly used option is to use directional antennas to pick up signals from land-based relays on the coast.
These boat-mounted antennas can improve reception, but they generally need to be pointed at the source of the signal, which can be restrictive at sea.
The price of these antennas is extremely variable, ranging from around €100 to €2,000 for the most powerful models.
Traditional satellites
Another alternative is to use satellite networks dedicated to communications at sea. These networks, such as Iridium or Inmarsat, offer global coverage and reliable connectivity in remote coastal areas. However, these solutions can be costly and connection speeds limited.
Iridium Go
The Iridium GO hotspot can be purchased individually for €924 incl. VAT. It is also available in a "marine" pack that includes an external antenna and other accessories for €1,380 incl. VAT.
There is a prepaid annual subscription option that offers 3,000 SMS or 1,000 voice minutes or 30,000 units for €870 excl. Another option is the "unlimited data" subscription priced at €179 ex.
However, 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 solution that can be used for the modern Internet, as this usage is only relevant for e-mail. But in the event of a problem, you'll still be able to communicate with the outside world!
Inmarsat
Inmarsat is also a solution more suited to telephony, since its Standard Plan (Inmarsat Fleet Broadband) charges a monthly subscription of 480.00 EXCL.for just 25 MB of data, with billing for each additional 0.02 MB.
In terms of equipment, the SAILOR Fleet One is priced at €4,990 plus VAT, and offers data connectivity up to 100 kbps and voice calls (on a single number).
A costly offer, but the advantage of Inmarsat is that it is available across the vast majority of the planet, thanks to 3 satellite networks.
And what about Starlink?
A more recent and very promising solution is offered by Starlinka 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 high seas.
How does Starlink work?
Starlink uses a constellation of orbiting satellites, currently numbering around 3,000.
By 2025, SpaceX plans to have around 12,000 in service.
These satellites exchange data via laser links, providing a high-quality, low-latency connection.
Satellites transmit data to various base stations, which then relay it to end-users via satellite dishes.
Starlink's connection speed: what is it?
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.
| Upstream flows | Downstream rates | Latency time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geostationary satellite | between 2 and 8 Mbit/s | between 10 and 100 Mbit/s | 600 milliseconds |
| ADSL | 1 Mbit/s | 20 Mbit/s | between 40 and 80 milliseconds |
| VDSL 2 | 8 Mbit/s | 100 Mbit/s | 25 milliseconds |
| 4G | 8 Mbit/s | between 50 and 100 Mbps | 40 milliseconds |
| Optical fiber | 1 Gbit/s | 1 Gbit/s | 10 milliseconds |
| Starlink | 10 to 20 Mbps | between 50 and 220 Mbps | between 25 and 35 milliseconds |
Starlink's geographical availability: where to sail?
Starlink is available in countries where it has obtained government approval to provide its services.
At the time of writing, here are the areas where you can access the Starlink network from your boat:
| United States | Barbados |
| Canada | Bulgaria |
| Australia | Croatia |
| New Zealand | Czech Republic |
| United Kingdom | Denmark |
| Germany | Estonia |
| Italy | Finland |
| Chile | French Guiana |
| Poland | Guadeloupe |
| Switzerland | Guernsey |
| Austria | Mayotte |
| Belgium | Portugal |
| Puerto Rico | Saint Barthélemy |
| Norway | Slovakia |
| France | Sweden |
| Slovenia | Iceland |
| Netherlands | Ireland |
| Dominican Republic | Isle of Man |
| Jersey | Latvia |
| Lithuania | Luxembourg |
| Macedonia | Malta |
| Martinique | Philippines |
| Romania | Saint-Martin |
| US Virgin Islands (USVI) | Panama |
| Brazil |
How much does Starlink cost for boats?
There are currently three options available for Starlink offshore subscriptions, depending on your data usage:
- 50 GB (€287/month) - Sufficient for individual use.
- 1 TB (€1128/month) - Suitable for companies working offshore.
- 5 TB (€5656/month) - Recommended for researchers, media and businesses requiring constant Internet access.
To these subscriptions must be added the cost of the equipment, which is €2,826 for the initial purchase of the maritime solution.
This equipment is of course specially designed for the extreme conditions of the open sea, and can withstand wind gusts in excess of 280 km/h.
In addition, the Starlink app, available on iOS and Android, lets you determine the best location for installation on your boat.
Conclusion
Connectivity at sea presents unique challenges, as 4G and 5G coverage near the coast can be limited.
Different options are available, each with its advantages and disadvantages.
Directional antennas improve reception, but need to be pointed at the signal source.
Traditional satellite networks offer worldwide 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-earth orbit satellites, promises high-speed connectivity even on the high seas, although its current deployment does not yet cover the entire 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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