No one likes to live with a dodgy internet connection. We are so used to being connected constantly that we don’t have much patience for slow internet speeds or dropped connections.  

A reliable internet connection is a challenge for a lot of people who live rurally. It has taken us a lot of research and experimentation to create a set up that provides the connectivity that we need.  

Why a Stable Internet Connection is Critical for Us 

Mark and I both work from home and can spend up to six hours a day on video calls with colleagues, presenting to executives, or even delivering training to virtual classes of up to a hundred students.  

Admittedly, the most important reason we need a reliable internet connection is to stream movies and shows and doom scroll on social media. The stakes are high, and the need for a reliable connection is non-negotiable. 

In the early days of living and working from our rural property we regularly experienced unreliable connections, resulting in frozen video screens or the dreaded ‘ding’ of a dropped call. It was a small comfort to know that urban internet connections were often unreliable too. 

Switching to Wireless Broadband 

Things improved when we switched from wired internet via telecom cable to Uber Group’s wireless broadband service which uses radio signals from their own network of over 150 transmission sites in Northland. We noticed an improvement in internet speed, but there were still occasional drops – of course at the most inconvenient times. 

When Mark joined the waitlist for Starlink I assumed we would be canceling our Uber Group subscription once we got that set up. But he had a better idea.  

Our Hybrid Solution: Starlink as the Primary Connection 

Once Mark installed the Starlink dish and connected it to power, we could see what all the fuss was about. Its advanced satellite technology delivers high-speed internet, even to our remote location, that meant we could stream content in high definition.  

However, in the realm of rural internet, redundancy is key. After some experimentation, Mark decided to make Starlink our primary connect, and keep Uber Group as a secondary failsafe connection. Our router is configured to automatically switch to the Uber Group connection if it detects any dip in Starlink's performance. The transition is smooth and virtually unnoticeable.  

While we might have been one of the first, now we’re not the only ones out our way who have Starlink dishes. This morning on the way to the beach we saw several, and if you’re looking for a more reliable rural connection it’s worth looking at.  

If you want to sign up, use this link and you’ll get one month free.