No one goes out on the water to watch TV or play on their cell phone. I get it. The water is gorgeous and the time away is priceless. But let’s be honest. There’s going to be a time you want to kick back and use your devices. It happens. The question is, what’s the best solution. Let’s take a look at the three options and how they might fit into your overall entertainment while you’re out on the water.
Starlink
Everyone is talking about Starlink right now. Of course they are, because it’s new and exciting and has a lot of promise. However, the fact that it’s so new means that it just might not be time to jump into it.
First and foremost, Starlink for marine is expensive. You’ll pay up to 10 times the price for marine equipment before you even download a single megabit. You’ll also have to use a marine data plan. They’re not unlimited like the land-based ones. You will pay a lot for that data if you want to seriously use it for things like streaming video.
The other thing to think about is that there’s no guarantee that the Starlink products you buy today are going to last. It wasn’t that long ago that all Starlink users had to pretty much throw away all their hardware and start again from scratch. That hurts if you’re paying $250 for a Starlink antenna but if you’re paying $5,000 that can be downright painful.
I think Low-Earth-Orbit internet is a great idea and I’ll probably change my tune and stop worrying in a few years. But for today, it’s a pretty big risk.
Cellular
A lot of folks don’t know that cell signals can travel a long distance over water. If the cell tower is right near the shore, it’s not uncommon to get cell reception 5 or even 10 miles offshore. The calm air and lack of buildings helps that signal get pretty darn far.
However, in order to get those amazing distances, you’ll need a cell phone signal booster. A booster will pull in weaker signal than your phone can. It will pump that signal into the cabin, where your phone probably doesn’t work right now. Boats are practically custom-designed to block cell signals with their fiberglass hulls and all that wiring. A cell booster solves the problem.
Putting in a cell phone signal booster will let you use your existing cell phone plan and get the unlimited data you really want. If you need Wi-Fi on your boat, there are cellular routers which provide that, giving you a way to use streaming boxes, laptops, or whatever you need.
Satellite
15 years ago, everyone was putting satellite TV on their boats. It was just a must-have. Folks, nothing has changed. Satellite TV is still an amazing value. You’ll get live TV from 50 miles off shore in most cases, and it won’t be disrupted by internet slowdowns. I’m talking about hundreds of channels of entertainment including the sports you love to watch and the news channels you love to follow.
It’s time to give satellite some serious thought. It’s a smart, cost-effective solution using proven technology. There’s not much more to say other than satellite just works.
Why not do it all?
With solutions like Marine Data Systems’ Blender, available exclusively at Solid Signal, you can intelligently mix marina Wi-Fi, Satellite, and cellular routers to make sure you’re always getting the best possible service. It’s a simple solution that’s cloud-managed and doesn’t need any intervention from you or anyone on the ship. It’s an innovative choice and it’s something you owe it to yourself to find out more about.
Here’s your next step
When you’re ready to get serious about marine entertainment, you need a partner who is as serious as you are. No one does more marine tech activations than Signal Connect. We’re certified to offer DIRECTV, DISH, Wilson cellular boosters, and more. Best of all, believe it or not, we answer the phone when you call. We’re here for you during East Coast business hours and we pick up when you call 888-233-7563. Our team of experts is waiting to help you with real, smart support.
So, call Signal Connect at 888-233-7563 now. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below. We’ll get back to you quickly!
