<p><img class="lead-image-large" src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/60097576db847c001918c021-2400/elon musk starlink internet 2x1.png" border="0" alt="elon musk starlink internet 2x1" data-mce-source="Pascal Le Segretain/Getty; Samantha Lee/Insider"></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>The UK is the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starlink-beta-uk-elon-musk-spacex-satellite-broadband-2021-1">latest country to approve</a> Elon Musk's Starlink internet as the billionaire reaches closer to his goal of covering Earth with up to 42,000 satellites to create a superfast global broadband service.</p><p>Northern US, southern Canada and now parts of Europe are taking part in Starlink's "Better Than Nothing Beta" test, which <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starlink-public-beta-how-to-join-price-cost-subscription-2020-10">costs $99 a month, plus $499</a> for a kit with a tripod, a WiFi router, and a terminal to connect to the Starlink satellites.</p><p>In the UK, this translates to 439 for the kit and 89 subscription fee for 150 megabits per second (Mbps). But this is expensive considering some national providers offer speeds of up to <a href="https://www.uswitch.com/broadband/packages/">516 Mbps for 79 per month</a>. </p><p>Philip Hall, in rural Devon, south-west England, told Insider he was one of the first people in the UK to receive the Starlink kit and test out its internet connection.</p><p>Hall has barely any internet connection where he lives, making running a business and contacting the family extremely challenging.</p><p>Despite the connection dropping out from time to time and the limited range of the signal, he said Starlink was "a hope and a prayer."</p><p>Here's how he set up Elon Musk's internet service in his own home.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-market-investing-space-industry-to-grow-1-trillion-bofa-2020-10'r=kd-sub">The space industry will grow by over $1 trillion in the next decade, Bank of America says. Here are the 14 stocks best positioned to benefit from the boom.</a></em></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starlink-beta-uk-elon-musk-spacex-satellite-broadband-2021-1" >Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service has been approved in the UK, and people are already receiving their beta kits</a></strong></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starship-sn9-rocket-prototype-test-flight-watch-live-video-2021-1" >SpaceX may launch and land its newest Starship rocket prototype on Monday. With any luck, it won't explode.</a></strong></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-starlink-spacex-satellite-internet-business-constellation-fleet-elon-musk-mars" >MONEY FOR MARS: Inside SpaceX's quest to make Starlink the world's top off-planet internet business</a></strong></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starlink-internet-satellite-public-beta-speed-spacex-mbps-elon-musk-2020-11" >SpaceX's Starlink internet public beta is giving some users blistering download speeds of more than 210 Mbps, including in rural Montana</a></strong></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starlink-internet-first-canada-customer-indigenous-community-pikangikum-musk-2020-12" >How SpaceX teamed up with a small Canadian IT company to bring its Starlink internet service to an indigenous community</a></strong></p><h3>Philip Hall and his partner live in Brithem Bottom, a rural village located in Devon, south-west England. Before Starlink, they were getting 0.5 Mbps download speed and had no reception. Even the government initiative to provide internet fell through. Hall said he felt "powerless."</h3><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5f0e7abd2618b95afa2d1c13-400-300/philip-hall-and-his-partner-live-in-brithem-bottom-a-rural-village-located-in-devon-south-west-england-before-starlink-they-were-getting-05-mbps-download-speed-and-had-no-reception-even-the-government-initiative-to-provide-internet-fell-through-hall-said-he-felt-powerless.jpg" alt="" /><br/><br/><h3>"Without broadband, you've got your arms behind your back," said Hall, who runs an IT business from home. He said his partner has only been able to access a Microsoft Teams call when every internet device in the house is switched off.</h3><img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5fd91c631803a80018adf976-400-300/without-broadband-youve-got-your-arms-behind-your-back-said-hall-who-runs-an-it-business-from-home-he-said-his-partner-has-only-been-able-to-access-a-microsoft-teams-call-when-every-internet-device-in-the-house-is-switched-off.jpg" alt="" /><br/><br/><h3>Hall said he subscribed to the "Better Than Nothing Beta" test in early 2019. It was "quite challenging" to enrol in because it was designed for American citizens with zip codes, but he managed his way through.</h3><img src="https://static5.businessinsider.com/image/5ee7c0223ad8611b766ce2bc-400-300/hall-said-he-subscribed-to-the-better-than-nothing-beta-test-in-early-2019-it-was-quite-challenging-to-enrol-in-because-it-was-designed-for-american-citizens-with-zip-codes-but-he-managed-his-way-through.jpg" alt="" /><br/><br/><h3>He received an email on December 22nd asking if he'd like to place his order and pay 439 for the kit and 89 for the monthly subscription. He said the price included VAT, indicating it possibly came from a UK office.</h3><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5f0e7abd191824411f2038e3-400-300/he-received-an-email-on-december-22nd-asking-if-hed-like-to-place-his-order-and-pay-439-for-the-kit-and-89-for-the-monthly-subscription-he-said-the-price-included-vat-indicating-it-possibly-came-from-a-uk-office.jpg" alt="" /><br/><br/><h3>The confirmation email came through on December 27th and it arrived on New Years Eve. Hall said he "very excitedly" posted a picture of the kit on the Starlink Reddit community but didn't open the box until the next day because he was with his family.</h3><img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/6005bfbee3d62500185fd08f-400-300/the-confirmation-email-came-through-on-december-27th-and-it-arrived-on-new-years-eve-hall-said-he-very-excitedly-posted-a-picture-of-the-kit-on-the-starlink-reddit-community-but-didnt-open-the-box-until-the-next-day-because-he-was-with-his-family.jpg" alt="" /><br/><br/><h3>Within an hour of opening it on New Year's Day, Hall ran a Zoom quiz for his grandchildren. "It was wonderful," he said.</h3><img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/6005c03c660f6c0018349ac0-400-300/within-an-hour-of-opening-it-on-new-years-day-hall-ran-a-zoom-quiz-for-his-grandchildren-it-was-wonderful-he-said.jpg" alt="" /><br/><br/><h3>Hall is now seeing average download speeds between 85 and 90 Mbps. "It is absolutely transformational," he said. The connection has dropped out a couple of times but he said it's not a problem for people living in rural communities.</h3><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/6005c096660f6c0018349ac2-400-300/hall-is-now-seeing-average-download-speeds-between-85-and-90-mbps-it-is-absolutely-transformational-he-said-the-connection-has-dropped-out-a-couple-of-times-but-he-said-its-not-a-problem-for-people-living-in-rural-communities.jpg" alt="" /><br/><br/><h3>After unpacking it from the box, Hall installed the Starlink app on his smartphone. He plugged in the terminal, which positions itself so it's facing the sky and then tilts to align with the satellites. "It's like an appliance," Hall said. "You literally just plug it in and follow an app."</h3><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/6005c0efe3d62500185fd091-400-300/after-unpacking-it-from-the-box-hall-installed-the-starlink-app-on-his-smartphone-he-plugged-in-the-terminal-which-positions-itself-so-its-facing-the-sky-and-then-tilts-to-align-with-the-satellites-its-like-an-appliance-hall-said-you-literally-just-plug-it-in-and-follow-an-app.jpg" alt="" /><br/><br/><h3>But the Starlink price is a fall back for some UK users. Starlink costs 89 a month for 100-150 Mbps, while some national providers offer download speeds of up to 516 Mbps for just 79 per month. Hall said he understands that fibre is cheaper, but where he lives, he can't get fibre so Starlink is the only alternative.</h3><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5fa98f801df1d50018219a36-400-300/but-the-starlink-price-is-a-fall-back-for-some-uk-users-starlink-costs-89-a-month-for-100-150-mbps-while-some-national-providers-offer-download-speeds-of-up-to-516-mbps-for-just-79-per-month-hall-said-he-understands-that-fibre-is-cheaper-but-where-he-lives-he-cant-get-fibre-so-starlink-is-the-only-alternative.jpg" alt="" /><br/><br/><h3>Without Musk's internet, Hall said that it was "like a chocolate teapot in terms of watching a video." Starlink has allowed Hall to stream TV series on Netflix and other services including Chromecast.</h3><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5fb2f0d11c741f0019aca212-400-300/without-musks-internet-hall-said-that-it-was-like-a-chocolate-teapot-in-terms-of-watching-a-video-starlink-has-allowed-hall-to-stream-tv-series-on-netflix-and-other-services-including-chromecast.jpg" alt="" /><br/><br/><h3>But like many other Starlink Reddit users, Hall said the range of the router doesn't stretch that far and the signal can be weak. "When we went to the other side of the house, we weren't picking it up."</h3><img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5e9ec9a1f242ab513d72896a-400-300/but-like-many-other-starlink-reddit-users-hall-said-the-range-of-the-router-doesnt-stretch-that-far-and-the-signal-can-be-weak-when-we-went-to-the-other-side-of-the-house-we-werent-picking-it-up.jpg" alt="" /><br/><br/><h3>For people living in rural areas, such as Hall and even indigenous communities in Canada, Starlink can be transformational. "Elon Musk has transformed the whole thing. It's a very exciting time," Hall said.</h3><img src="https://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5fcbb78ab6a3a800199b6dec-400-300/for-people-living-in-rural-areas-such-as-hall-and-even-indigenous-communities-in-canada-starlink-can-be-transformational-elon-musk-has-transformed-the-whole-thing-its-a-very-exciting-time-hall-said.jpg" alt="" /><br/><br/>
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