Starlink puts the Internet in reach anywhere on Earth.
While yachting is about escape, those luxurious days aboard a boat often come with one request: reliable Internet connectivity. The ability to stream Netflix and Spotify like at home might turn a good trip into a great one, and that’s where Starlink internet for yachts comes into play.
Starlink, a satellite Internet constellation project by SpaceX, offers its high-speed service for recreational yachts and boats on the ocean. Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk launched the Starlink project in 2015, with the goal of providing high-speed, low-latency Internet access globally through a constellation of small satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
The Starlink project went into action in the fall of 2020, with the help of more than 2,000 satellites launched by SpaceX. Starlink provides Internet connectivity in remote and underserved areas, including the vast expanses of the open ocean. SpaceX has a goal to launch up to 40,000 satellites in the next few years for coverage on any point on Earth.
“Starlink can be an excellent choice for our customers,” explained Sharon Phillips, director of e3 Systems USA, a division of e3 Systems, based out of Mallorca, Spain. e3 Systems is a leading marine communication integrator that provides turnkey services, equipment, and installation for all onboard communications. “Starlink uniquely allows vessels to be more of an extension of land-based homes/offices, with similar communication luxuries. Combined with backup solutions, redundancy, and security, you can create a seamless transition from home/office amenities to seaworthy vessels.”
Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb, and other companies are among a growing field of satellite Internet providers. While faster speeds and better connectivity make sense, no network is perfect all the time.
“It’s important to have a backup,” Phillips said. “Whether it’s as simple as a satellite phone, or VSAT, or another solution, bad weather, satellite blockage, or congestion can all play a part in impacting reliability offshore.”
Satellite Internet also makes yachts more vulnerable to cyber threats, targeting boat owners, crew, and guests, with viruses, malware, and phishing emails. That’s where e3 System’s services help boat owners because the e3 System’s data plans you buy come with a host of monitoring, support, and protection features. For example, e3 Systems will monitor data usage and ensure you don’t go way over and face an expensive overage charge.
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Download speeds from Starlink of 40 to 220 Mbps are in the same range as what cable providers like Spectrum provide for home use. While Netflix videos stream just fine with only a download speed of 6 Mbps, having 220 Mbps for the vessel’s entire wireless network will allow all guests on board to access the Internet with no delays.
“Audio-visual aspects of a vessel were often thought of as passive devices,” Phillips said. “Content was stored and uploaded during shore time for viewing while at sea. With Starlink, we can take a much more active approach to content, streaming and downloading while moving at sea, meaning more convenience for owners, guests, and crew.”
In addition, Starlink is opening the potential to bring gaming, AR/VR, higher-quality business meetings, and other new technologies to yachting that have long been considered unviable due to lack of bandwidth.
Starlink’s hardware components, including the phased-array panel antennas and satellite terminals, are manufactured in America to meet the highest-quality standards and regulatory requirements for maritime applications. Domestic manufacturing also ensures a reliable and secure supply chain for critical hardware components for Starlink, and that means parts are available for repair.
“A typical e3 Systems installation takes from one to four-plus days, and this depends on whether you need to update your cabling and integrate your other communications equipment with Starlink,” Phillips said. “The Starlink Flat High-Performance Kit for mobile use includes a high-performance eight-meter cable and wedge mount, and you can purchase an extra twenty-five-meter cable.”
Starlink sells its equipment through retailers like West Marine, but be sure to buy parts rated for the marine environment. Some boat owners have purchased Starlink equipment made for land use, and while it does work, it might not last long in the harsh marine surroundings. For example, the Flat High-Performance Kit is made for the marine environment and carries an IP56 rating. IP56 means protection from dust and strong jets of water from all directions. It retails for $2,499.99 at West Marine.
Users can buy monthly data plans, most commonly ranging from 50 gigabytes ($250 a month) to five terabytes ($5,000 a month). While the boat is docked close to land, data is essentially unlimited. While at sea, the monthly charge applies to data consumption. If you go beyond your monthly plan, you pay overage charges. Again, e3 System can monitor usages and send an alert if the data is at 50 percent, 90 percent, and 100 percent of the monthly threshold.
Owners who use e3 Systems for installation and data benefit from an organization that is an authorized Starlink reseller. These benefits include connecting the vessel to an in-house e3 Systems operation center that has direct access to the Starlink network. You also benefit from e3 Systems engineers who understand all the equipment aboard and how to integrate it with the yacht’s equipment and network.
“Some boat captains and owners prefer to speak to someone if they are having a problem and with e3 Systems you get that support,” Phillips said. “You can certainly go through Starlink support if you have issues. What we do is help make the Starlink internet for yacht experience the best possible.”
-by Doug Thompson
