Starlink Capacity Available Again in Southeast UK After Months of Waitlists

Residents in the southeast of England can once again order Starlink satellite broadband after a 4-month hiatus due to capacity constraints. SpaceX, the company behind the high-speed internet service, reopened orders this week for homes in the region.

“I’ve been checking the Starlink site every day for months, hoping to finally get connected,” said Jane Thompson, 38, a graphic designer who works from her rural cottage in Kent. “As soon as I saw the ‘Order Now’ button light up, I jumped on it. No more sluggish video calls for me!”

Pent-Up Demand Drives Surge in Orders

Industry analysts estimate that over 10,000 households in the southeast had joined the Starlink waiting list since January, when the company paused new orders. On Monday morning, that pent-up demand transformed into a flood of sign-ups.

“Our system logged 3,500 new orders from the southeast in the first 6 hours of availability,” revealed Sarah Jones, 41, a customer service manager at Starlink. “It’s clear there’s massive demand for better broadband in this part of the country.”

Starlink Offers Lifeline for Rural Areas

With download speeds up to 150 Mbps, Starlink has become a connectivity lifeline for “notspots” – rural areas overlooked by traditional broadband providers. Government figures show nearly 200,000 premises in the southeast still lack access to 30 Mbps broadband.

“Before Starlink, my only option was 4 Mbps DSL,” explained Mark Johnson, 55, a retired engineer in West Sussex. “Now I’m getting over 100 Mbps. It’s been a total game-changer for streaming, gaming, everything.”

SpaceX aims to blanket the UK with coverage by mid-2023 using a constellation of over 2,000 low-orbit satellites. But with each satellite capable of serving a limited number of users, localized waitlists have become common during the rollout.

Capacity Constraints Drive Scarcity

The root cause of Starlink’s capacity issues boils down to physics. Each satellite can only communicate with a certain number of ground stations at once due to limits on spectrum and processing power.

“In simple terms, the satellites get ‘full’ and can’t take on more users in a given area,” said Dr. Emily Harris, 46, a telecom researcher at University College London. “SpaceX is steadily launching more satellites to grow the network, but it’s a gradual process.”

Starlink Prices Remain Steep

For those who can get Starlink, the service doesn’t come cheap. Hardware costs £460 up-front, followed by a £75 monthly subscription. Those prices may deter some, but Starlink believes its service justifies a premium.

“Our aim has always been to provide high-speed, low-latency internet to the most underserved places,” said Robert Miller, 39, a SpaceX spokesman. “We know Starlink isn’t the cheapest option out there, but for many of our customers, it’s the only real option.”

What’s Next for Starlink UK

As SpaceX continues building out its satellite constellation, Starlink’s UK footprint will keep growing through 2023 and beyond. The company plans to introduce a business-tier service with even faster speeds later this year.

But for now, Starlink’s return to the southeast is already making a difference for residents who’ve waited months for better broadband. As one happy customer tweeted: “Goodbye buffering, hello future!”