Billionaire Elon Musk is shaking up the UK broadband market as his satellite broadband service, Starlink, makes its way in. Starlink Broadband is rolling out a surprisingly bold pricing strategy in the UK, offering lower pricing than BT.
The high-speed internet service is now available for as low as £35, a significant drop from its previous rate of £55. By comparison, BT's similar package goes for £40, while Virgin Media 02 (VM02) is priced at £36. After factoring in Starlink's £94 installation fee, the £35 plan remains significantly cheaper with the 24-month contract.
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Starlink's £35/month offering is a residential plan with download speeds of up to 100 Mbps and comes with options for self-install or professional installation via an authorised installer (with an additional one-time £75 installation fee). The 100 Mbps speed is sufficient for most daily online tasks, including video streaming (HD, 4K, concurrent streaming on multiple devices), low latency online games, web browsing, HD video calls, and more.
Consumers Going for Starlink
Starlink's pricing isn't just praised for its affordability, undercutting Virgin Media and BT; it also shows huge potential to transform internet access for households across the UK and could put notable pressure on broadband providers to reassess their pricing. This could signal Starlink's accelerated expansion across Britain's broadband sector.
New Street Research analyst James Ratzer said, 'This serves as a warning that we think Starlink is likely to be an incremental player in the UK broadband market and this is likely to put further pressure on BT through Openreach line losses – and to a lesser extent on VMO2,' per a Telegraph report.
In British households, £10–£20 of monthly savings eventually adds up and accumulates to hundreds per year, part of the reason why Starlink's position and offering is already generating significant consumer interest. Starlink's UK-based subscribers rose from 13,000 about four years ago to 87,000 in 2025, per The Guardian.
In addition to the 100 Mbps Residential plan, Starlink also offers Residential 200 Mbps for £55 per month and Residential Max with speeds up to 400+ Mbps for £75 per month. Residential Max includes a Gen 3 Router and free mesh for expanded range and a Starlink Mini for Travel (£159 Value) at no cost.
Consumer Reactions
UK residents have taken to social media to express their reactions to Starlink's recent price drop. KerbalSpaceNut (@KerbalNut), for instance, said, 'Wow. That's incredibly cheap,' while another X user said switching to Starlink after it dropped its price to £35 would be 'a no brainer.'
Wow. That’s incredibly cheap. 🤯
— KerbalSpaceNut (@KerbalNut) January 15, 2026
One Brick At A Time (@FormidableMoney) also posted on X about Starlink's pricing, saying 'Can get 100mb Starlink for 35 quid a month now in the UK, that's insanely awesome! A M A Z I N G !' Other users are paying only £2.30 per day with Starlink, stating that it's 'cheaper than a Starbucks coffee.'
Can get 100mb Starlink for 35 quid a month now in the UK, that's insanely awesome! A M A Z I N G !
— One Brick At A Time (@FormidableMoney) January 15, 2026
Elon Musk's 'High-Speed Internet from Space'
Starlink's low monthly rates include cheaper broadband service and monthly savings for families and individuals, and it also highlights economic and social benefits. For instance, faster connections make remote work, telehealth, e-commerce and online education better in regions that used to lag in technology. Businesses can also reap the benefits of this through digital marketing and online services.
Musk's elaborate move underscores a trend in which tech firms are leveraging their infrastructure to enter markets that have never been penetrated before. The pressure on BT and other ISPs is projected to mount over the next few months as Starlink lands in more UK homes.
