Thanks to a new Starlink satellite system geared toward recreational vehicles, boaters are inching ever closer to affordable at-sea internet service with unlimited data. Starlink sits under the SpaceX umbrella and provides high-speed, low-latency internet access through a growing constellation of low-Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites.
When the system debuted in 2020, the company targeted residential use, and coverage was limited as SpaceX expanded the network by sending up more satellites. Each user needed to set a fixed address, and the service only worked within a few miles of that address.
SpaceX has been launching many satellites into orbit each month, and the Starlink constellation is now approximately 2,000 satellites strong. SpaceX ultimately plans to launch more than 30,000 satellites to provide high-speed internet around the globe. That would make obtaining service possible no matter how remote the location. For boaters, however, all of this comes with caveats that still need to be figured out.
In early 2022, Starlink announced a portability option for an extra $25 a month to access satellite internet when away from the service address. This portability option was great for people like Chris Dunphy and Cherie Ve Ard, who split their time between an RV and their Bayliner 4788 pilothouse cruiser. They’ve been full-time nomads since 2006 and purchased their current boat five years ago. They set off on the Great Loop and discovered the St. Johns River in Florida. They decided to linger on the river and have been stationed on Lake Monroe for the past couple of years. Together, they operate a website called rvmobileinternet.com to help other people stay connected while living out of RVs and boats.
Dunphy and Ve Ard received a Starlink unit in January and mounted it to the radar arch on their Bayliner. The antenna resembles a solar panel that’s about the size of a laptop computer. They say the unit was easy to install; you basically set it outside and plug it in. From there, you can connect to the internet via the Starlink Wi-Fi signal or use a router. As long as there are no major obstructions, such as tall buildings, trees or bridges, users should be good to go.
“It’s a complete game-changer,” Dunphy says. “Starlink plus cellular is the combo we’re seeing a lot of people drawn to.”
On the Bayliner, they have seen download speeds of 50 to 200 Mbps, comparable to a cable provider’s high-speed internet. Upload speeds, however, haven’t been as stellar. Starlink advertises upload speeds of 10 to 20 Mbps, but Ve Ard says the speeds they’ve experienced have been closer to 5 to 10 Mbps. “Video conferencing and running a YouTube channel at those speeds is not ideal,” she says.
There are some other boating-specific issues to contend with, as well. Dunphy says that when they turn on the radar, the Starlink shuts down, a situation that may be a glitch requiring them to move the antenna. The larger issue is using the system while underway.
Starlink rolled out a new service for RVs in May, but the system is not regulated to support in-motion usage at this time. To get the RV service, users must purchase the hardware for $599, then subscribe to the service for $135 per month. The main benefit of the RV program, compared with the residential one, is that RV users can pause the monthly fee for any months when they’re not traveling. To use Starlink, however, the unit must be stationary. Any in-motion usage could void the warranty and be grounds for cancellation.
“At a dock, you are most likely OK, but any movement could make it kind of a legal gray area because we’re not sure how Starlink defines ‘in motion’ and detects it,” Ve Ard says. “Is a boat at the dock that’s rocking in a storm considered in motion? Or swinging on an anchor, is that in motion?”
Then there is the issue of coverage. The service works throughout most of North America, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Much of the Caribbean and Bahamas are expected to come online later this year. But don’t expect a connection offshore; the service currently cuts off at 12 nautical miles, though this too will most likely change over time.
Right now, a ground station provides the internet connection and sends it to a satellite, which relays it to the receiver on the boat. If there is no ground station within range, the satellite has nothing to talk to. SpaceX is launching new satellites that will solve this problem by using lasers to connect the satellites so they can act like relays and extend the range. “That’s an essential ingredient for cross-ocean coverage,” Dunphy says.
Once this second phase is enabled, Starlink will have the technical ability to provide global coverage, but it will still have to contend with regulatory hoops before that service rolls out to consumers.
While Starlink appears to be getting the most attention right now, it’s not the only player in the global satellite game. A company called OneWeb has a constellation of more than 600 LEO satellites and signed a deal with Intellian last year to provide terminals and antennas. Then there is Amazon’s Project Kuiper, which aims to put more than 1,500 LEO satellites into orbit during the next five years.
With so much investment and technology coming downstream, the boating community could soon have plenty of options for surfing, downloading and binging wherever it roams.
This article was originally published in the June 2023 issue.
