Technology: How to get internet on board with Starlink - tariffs, hardware and costs

Text by Heino Kuhlemann

Call up the latest weather data, update navigation software, hold video conferences while sailing, edit emails, communicate with marinas, friends and family, get technical advice or simply stream a film - broadband Internet on board ensures greater safety and comfort at sea. And for more freedom. If you have the opportunity to take part in the daily morning team conference in the saloon of your boat at 9 a.m., you can also work efficiently while underway without your colleagues realising where you have dialled in from. Modern conference software backgrounds make this possible. For members of the YACHT editorial team, the only way to tell that a colleague is on board is by the angle of the light and the different grip on the teapot.

Also interesting:

• Iridium, Starlink, Inmarsat: on-board satellite communication - and the alternatives
• Communication: Starlink Mini now also available in Germany - and what it costs

Mobile internet allows us to work more flexibly, so it's no wonder that more and more sailors are swapping the boat office for the open-plan office during the season. If you have the right technical components on board, you can now set sail without having to wait for your well-earned retirement. Many owners appreciate the fact that questions about the boat, technical problems or area highlights can now be researched during the cruise and via the Internet. And don't we all dream of more days on board each year?

Anyone who values fast internet on board has access to it almost anywhere in the world at economical conditions with the Starlink service: Elon Musk's satellite system has been revolutionising internet use in pleasure craft and communication at sea since 2022. A lot has also happened in the last two years in terms of technology, tariffs, hardware and experience in the sailing scene. As far as high-performance data rates for work or private use are concerned, there is currently no cheaper and faster solution - apart from coastal 4G/5G.

How does Starlink compare to other systems?

"Most satellite internet services are provided by individual geostationary satellites orbiting the earth at an altitude of 35,786 kilometres. Therefore, the data transfer time between user and satellite - also known as latency - is high, which makes streaming, online gaming, video calls or other high data rate activities almost impossible.

Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites orbiting the planet at an altitude of around 550 kilometres and covering the entire globe. As the Starlink satellites are in a low orbit, the latency time is significantly lower, according to the company - "around 25 milliseconds compared to 600+ milliseconds".

In addition to upload and download rates, latency is an important key figure because it is the measure of the time that data packets take over the network. Low latency therefore means smooth and good working on the Internet. This is measured by sending a data packet and recording the time until it is acknowledged. Starlink is now available almost everywhere in the world, but its use also depends on national agreements.

• The official map provides an overview: starlink.com/map

Tariffs, use and developments of Starlink

While in 2022 it was still expensive or even illegal to use Starlink "underway" with a pleasure craft given the favourable tariffs, this has now changed fundamentally. We already reported at the end of 2022 via the low-cost "camping version" (now "Mobile Regional"), which could and can be used officially with a flat rate at anchor or in a marina "on land". It was not permitted to use Starlink on the move with the cheap hardware and for licence reasons at the time - although many people did and it obviously worked.

According to the Starlink definition, near-shore use at anchor or in a marina is indeed land use, as the corresponding technical cells on the map do not end directly on the shore. This means that use directly on the coast is officially permitted at the land rate.

When the first boat tariffs with four-digit monthly fees appeared, they were largely uninteresting for sailors for cost reasons. Recently, however, the "Mobile Priority" tariffs have developed positively. This licence model is required to be able to use Starlink on the move. You can currently get 50 GB in the permanent tariff for boats for 284 euros per month. However, tariff changes are always possible and customary at short notice.

Starlink tariffs and hardware recommendation

(Prices are still very volatile, here is the Starlink price overview)

Travel tariff

• Hardware: Standard
• Price Hardware: 249 Euro
• Antenna weight: 2.9 kg
• Dimensions: 43 x 120 x 299 mm
• Monthly service tariff: 40 per month for 50 GB, unlimited mobile data continent-wide (harbour, coastal anchoring) € 72 per month. Use at sea in the "mobile priority" tariff € 284 per month for 50 GB, € 1119 per month for 1 TB.

Travel tariff

• Hardware: Mini
• Price Hardware: 399 Euro
• Antenna weight: 1.10 kg
• Dimensions: 79 x 334 x 430 mm
• Monthly service tariff: 40 per month for 50 GB, unlimited mobile data continent-wide (harbour, coastal anchoring) € 72 per month. Use at sea in the "mobile priority" tariff € 284 per month for 50 GB, € 1119 per month for 1 TB.

Tariff boats

• Hardware: High Performance Flat
• Price Hardware: 2843 Euro
• Antenna weight: 5.9 kg
• Dimensions: 41 x 511 x 575 mm
• Monthly service tariff: Unlimited mobile data worldwide (50 GB: €284; 1 TB: €1119)

The alternative: The "Mobile Regional" tariff without a GB limit is widely available for currently 40 euros per month for 50 GB on land, unlimited for 72 euros per month. This allows unlimited surfing at anchor or in the harbour. According to the latest reports, Starlink now defines the coastline somewhat more precisely and restrictively, but the worldwide users in the forums and our own test currently show no restrictions on the permitted land use at anchor and at the berth of a marina or pier. If you want to use Starlink while travelling, you would have to book the "mobile priority" tariff. The price for this has just been changed to 284 euros per month for 50 GB and 1110 euros per month for 1 TB. Overall, the prices are still very volatile.

With the option to set the dish to horizontal/"flat", available since May 2024, performance loss due to unfavourable alignment of the "dish" antenna is history. The user also no longer voids the warranty by deactivating the motor by drilling holes. Such DIY solutions are not advisable anyway, as a new app version is usually released soon after and the hardware has been irreversibly interfered with for nothing. And a more expensive aerial is not necessary either.

Generation 3 and the recently introduced Starlink Mini are delivered without a motor anyway. A smaller dish or even a flat position generally have a somewhat limiting effect on performance. As a rule, however, video conferencing works well if you define this as the benchmark.

The 3rd generation Dish (without motor) and the new Mini are now available from the Starlink shop. The motor for automatic alignment of the simple 2nd generation dish, which is annoying when travelling but helpful in the marina, can be deactivated via a switch in the app since May 2024.

If you are economical with updates to operating systems, software and constantly data-hungry applications such as Facebook, Instagram and the like, consumption and therefore costs are kept within limits. You need 5 to 15 MB per minute of video conferencing, depending on the system, video quality and number of participants.

However, Starlink for "Mobile Regional" must now be operated at the registration address every two months (previously three). This can be the home address or the permanent berth of a marina, otherwise you have to change countries and register. The 40/72 euro tariff is therefore only partially or not at all suitable for blue water sailors and circumnavigators, as a permanent technical move would be necessary. However, the FAQs in the relevant Internet forums provide sufficient guidance on how to change countries and continents. For long-distance sailors, we recommend the cheapest of the explicit Starlink-for-boats tariffs at 284 euros per month for a data volume of 50 GB. Packages with more volume can also be booked. It is difficult to predict how prices will develop in the near future, as tariff changes and adjustments to the terms of use are currently being adjusted dynamically. It is important to keep an eye on this, especially as there are differences from state to state and especially between continents.

New and proven hardware

Generation 3 for antennas and routers has just been launched in Germany and the community is still gathering practical experience. Generation 2 is still available, which is probably the most widely used in the yachting scene and was also used in this practical test. The Starlink Mini was also recently launched on the market.

The new compact model will soon be on board with us and tested in parallel operation against the tried-and-tested Dish with motor. The Mini promises "backpack dimensions", i.e. roughly the size of a small MacBook, so it should also be interesting for smaller yachts. It also has a USB/12V connection and a lower power requirement, which makes it particularly interesting for sailing. It remains to be seen how it will perform at sea, as the size of the antenna has so far been a decisive factor for good reception and transmission performance. Starlink gives performance data that is slightly below that of Generation 2, but should be fully sufficient for typical applications.

Starlink for emergencies at sea?

Until now, Starlink could only help in an emergency as long as you were on board and the power supply was working. The new Starlink Mini is grab-bag-compatible: It is easy to transport and can also be operated from the life raft using a power bank. Whether the Starlink system is a sufficient replacement for satellite phones remains to be seen. The phones are likely to have the edge, especially when it comes to battery life.

Installation and experience

Commissioning is very easy with the Starlink app. The app guides you through the installation step by step, after which the antenna takes a few minutes to orientate itself to the satellites. After that, you can get started, and Starlink continues to collect new data to optimise the connection even while you are using the internet at a new location. Monthly billing starts from the day of installation, so you don't have to wait for the beginning of the month.

As standard, the dish can be placed in a stand, but this was designed for camping use. Other solutions have become established on sports boats. We use a standard fishing rod holder, the inexpensive tube adapter from the Starlink online shop (60 euros) and attach the dish to it. A storm-tested solution that has worked without any problems since 2022.

If you set the dish to "flat", there is no alignment, which is a disadvantage when travelling or changing course. Although performance drops slightly in the flat position, it is still sufficient for video conferencing or streaming films. If you need more bandwidth, you can install the high-performance antenna from Starlink, which is designed for applications on the move.

Conversion to 12V/24V

Apart from the new Mini, Starlink does not provide a 12V/24V or USB connection. In addition to the standard 230V operation, which currently consumes approx. 40 to 60 watts of power and requires an inverter for alternating current at sea, there are individual extensions from third-party suppliers for 12V/24V operation. Here, an average of 20 to 25 watts can be expected, and there is no need for an inverter.

Operation with 230V via inverter or shore power

With the 230V connection, in our case the router is connected via a solar-powered or shore-powered power unit with inverter. Power consumption: 40 to 60 watts. If you want to connect an additional or better router or even an entire network, an Ethernet adapter is available in the Starlink shop for Generation 2. With Generation 3 routers, this option is available directly on the router. Operation with 12V/24V is more energy-efficient than in 230V mode, and the inverter is also not required here. For the installation, we ordered a set that is currently establishing itself in the scene. However, there are several alternative solutions that can be considered.

Installation and parts

The following solution from Yaosheng, for example, can be put into operation by anyone without any complex DIY work. Only the power cables need to be attached with a screwdriver.

The antenna is connected to the 12V connection on the cigarette lighter or, better still, directly to the vehicle electrical system. There is also an adapter for the standard cable of the Starlink antenna, which is operated with a POE cable (Power over Ethernet). Both modules are now also available combined in one component. We opted for the recommended 12V router to avoid any need for 230V and the associated higher energy requirements. As a result, this works very well, although there are some minor limitations that are not a problem.

The Starlink app naturally "misses" the original router and was therefore unable to carry out performance measurements or implement updates in our case. However, performance measurements are possible with third-party products. Updates can be downloaded by connecting the 230V router for an hour from time to time. The settings for the antenna, such as the flat position, remain accessible via the app, but router functions are no longer available. In practical tests, it has also proved useful to switch the 230V router to bypass mode and thus deactivate it from the configuration. This means that Starlink no longer attempts to reach it.

Internet with 12V on board is fast and generally reliable. In the sample configuration, the router offers separate WLAN via 2.4 and 5 GHz, which can be used as required. In the practical test, however, brief interferences were occasionally detected, which could have been caused by the power supply (cigarette lighter not optimal, but possible), but in our case could be largely optimised away by adapting the router configuration depending on the model. During the European Football Championship, we were able to watch live TV without any interruptions, but there were brief glitches now and again during video conferences. This is not ideal in a professional environment, but overall the configuration works well.

Conclusion

Starlink has become the new standard for sailors who travel a lot and want fast Internet. The tariffs and the officially authorised compromise solutions are now geared towards the benefits and requirements of users and are in line with the on-board budget. The new flat rate, "on-the-go tariffs" per GB or as a flat rate offer a good choice for everyone. The fact that operation via 12V/24V is now possible also facilitates use and conserves the on-board batteries. The now available Starlink Mini in rucksack format has 12V and USB connections anyway and can be another interesting option for sailors. Installation on board is simple and requires no tinkering, and the subsequent set-up does not require a deep understanding of networks. However, in order to utilise its potential, you should familiarise yourself with the app and the setting options. Starlink remains on course for success, and we will reveal how the Starlink Mini performs in an intensive practical test in an upcoming issue.

Directory of links and forums:

Facebook

• "Starlink On Boats"
• "Starlink for sailboats"

Trans Ocean e. V.

• trans-ocean.org