Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite to bring faster broadband to North Yorkshire in government trial

Elon Musk’s Starlink, which uses satellites to beam a broadband signal down to Earth, is to be used as part of a government trial to get better internet connectivity to remote parts of the UK.

And Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire Moors National Park is one of three remote locations taking part in the trial.

Ministers say recent tests have shown that in many locations, Starlink satellites can deliver internet speeds of up to 200 megabits per second – four times faster than the current UK average broadband speed of just over 50Mbps.

The government said it was continuing to look at the capability of the system, as well as looking at other solutions and services with different suppliers.

Mr Musk has become a polarising figure in recent months following a turbulent takeover of Twitter that has divided opinion because of his push for less content moderation and more free speech on the social media platform.

Of the satellite scheme, Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said: “High-speed broadband beamed to earth from space could be the answer to the connectivity issues suffered by people in premises stuck in the digital slow lane.

“Ensuring everyone can get a quality internet connection is crucial to our levelling up plans and these trials aim to find a solution to the prohibitively high cost of rolling out cables to far-flung locations.”

The other two locations taking part in the trial are Wasdale Head in the Lake District and two sites within Snowdonia National Park.