'Game-changing' Starlink satellite technology pioneered by Elon Musk to benefit rural Highland businesses

RURAL businesses and households in the Highlands now have the chance to tap into high-speed connectivity thanks to Starlink satellite technology becoming available.

Thousands have been deprived of high-speed internet access mostly because of the rural nature of where they live.

But Elon Musk’s Starlink recently became available to virtually everyone in Scotland.

Scottish IT business Flonix Ltd has now installed dozens of Starlink systems and managing director Daniel Lamb said: “It’s a real game changer.”

Because of the initial purchase price of almost £500 and a monthly payment of £90, it was mostly businesses who are interested.

“It’s mainly business people in rural locations that have not been able to access high-speed connectivity, but there have even been blackspots in towns and cities,” he said.

Flonix installed a Starlink system for Glenalmond Timber, in Perth, which struggled with a poor internet connection for years, and had immediate results.

Director Fraser Steele said: “It has been totally transformative for us.

“It’s been a life-changer for our business and Flonix assisted with add-ons to allow us to remotely access our servers via the cloud.”

Audit Scotland said at the end of 2021 around 107,000 premises were still waiting to be connected under the government’s R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme.

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