Once the procurement for this programme goes live and is concluded, that will determine the choice of supplier. Until then, no decision has been made.

All organisations providing services in the UK must comply with the UK’s data protection legislation, which is enforced independently of Government by the Information Commissioner.

Starlink is not a supplier on any Crown Commercial Service (CCS) commercial agreement.

There have been no recent discussions with Starlink on satellite services for trains.

The Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of satellite technology on (a) mobile and (b) internet connectivity on long-distance rail services between Scotland and London and as a result of the spending review, we secured funding to deliver low earth orbit satellite technology on all mainline trains to improve on train passenger wifi. This will include services between London and Scotland, such as LNER and Avanti West Coast.

However, we know satellite connectivity will not work in tunnels. Network Rail's Project Reach will address mobile connectivity in 57 key mainline tunnels which will include tunnels along the East Coast Mainline and West Coast Mainline.

The Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and its Arms Lengths Body’s (ALBs) including the United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA) hold no contracts directly with Starlink, aside from the Very Hard to Reach Alpha trials which are due to close in the coming quarter. These are rolling monthly contracts with Starlink Internet Services, and the currently anticipated expenditure in March 2025 is £1,035.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) alongside the Ministry of Defence (MOD) have reported no contracts with Starlink. The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) does not hold information on which departments have used Starlink.

The government acknowledges rapid evolutions in the global satellite communications sector. Monopoly rarely serves the public interest and a competitive market is important to ensuring public and private sector value. We are keen to secure UK leadership in commercial satellite communications, which is why the UK has:

• delivered the Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit programme to develop the next generation of UK satellite communications technologies;
• led the European Space Agency’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems programme;
• supported a series of satellite broadband trials with a range of suppliers; and
• acquired a stake in UK based low Earth orbit satellite operator OneWeb, which supports over 400 highly productive UK jobs.

The Marine Management Organisation type-approved four devices in 2021 after suppliers provided evidence of their specification. It then commissioned independent assurance testing in November 2022 on all four devices to provide further assurance. Two of the devices failed the assurance process, including the Maritime Systems Ltd MS44 device. Prior to their suspension, Maritime Systems Ltd had installed approximately 70% of all devices purchased by fishers.

The business case for the Government’s investment in OneWeb is not affected by the recent Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announcement regarding some initial limited satellite broadband trials in the UK. The decision was based on the immediate availability of equipment that had a suitably unobtrusive size for the first trial sites and could be deployed quickly at low cost. DCMS remain in discussions with OneWeb on supporting more complex trial sites and expect that OneWeb equipment will be tested as part of this trial in the future.

The trials will assess the technological capability of, and end-user response to, new low latency Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite platforms across an expected maximum of 15 locations. The decision to use Starlink equipment for the first four sites, which are located in National Parks, was based on the immediate availability of equipment, user need and the requirement to use unobstructive antenna of a size appropriate to the locations.

All commercial decisions related to these trials have been, and will be, taken in accordance with the Department’s commercial purchasing guidelines, ensuring that the Government does not show undue favour to any single supplier. As previously announced, DCMS remains in discussion with OneWeb on how they might contribute to trials at larger and more complex sites in future, with the expectation that both Starlink and OneWeb systems will be tested as part of this trial.