Broadband Coverage Gaps To Be Filled By Satellite

The current gaps in the UK where broadband cannot be accessed are set to be covered through the use of satellite broadband.

The Chief Executive of Avanti, David Williams, said, “Satellite broadband used to be expensive and bad, but it is set to become cheap and good”.

It has already been reported that Avanti are set to launch their first satellite “Hylas” later on this year. It will use the Ka-band radio frequency to provide up to 2Mbps broadband access speeds to 350,000 homes in the UK. If it is successful then the company plans to launch two bigger spacecraft known as Hercules.

The Hercules satellite project is being backed by the European Space Agency who have already showed their support by funding part of the costs. Avanti, however, still need to find £500 million for the project.

The Hercules satellites will provide broadband to the 2.5 million UK homes which currently cannot get broadband access. It will mainly offer speeds of up to 2Mbps, though they have the potential to deliver much higher speeds of up to 50Mbps.

Satellite broadband access is set to be recommended as an option to fill the UK’s broadband ‘not spots’ in today’s Digital Britain report.