BT kick-starts broadband satellite plans

BT has announced plans to offer broadband internet access from satellites, joining a growing band of companies looking to the sky to solve access problems in remote areas.

The service will be available in the Highlands of Scotland and Northern Ireland from September, with a country-wide roll-out planned over the following 12 months.

It will be offered for £100 a month, and requires a dish the same size as existing satellite TV dishes. However, the technology will be more expensive as unlike conventional satellite systems, it has to transmit back to the satellites as well as receiving information from them.

Satellite broadband is not seen as a competitor to ADSL, which is cheaper and does not require a dish. It is only likely to be attractive in areas where ADSL and other broadband technologies are not available, such as remote rural areas.

The service will use existing satellites owned by Israeli firm Gilat, which has already signed a deal with ISP Tiscali to offer broadband internet in France, Germany and Italy.

Start-up firm Aramiska announced plans to launch a satellite internet service earlier this month.