Starlink Internet for Refurbishment Projects

Temporary internet for property refurbishment, project management and empty buildings before permanent broadband is ready.

A refurbishment project can last for weeks or months before the property is ready for normal occupation.

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During that time, almost everything inside the building may change.

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Walls are removed.

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Electrics are replaced.

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Floors come up.

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Extensions are built.

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Heating systems are renewed.

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The old broadband equipment may disappear completely.

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Yet the need for internet often starts from the moment the project begins.

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Drawings need to be accessed. Photographs need uploading. Consultants need contacting. CCTV may need connectivity. Project managers may be working from the property. Smart security and monitoring equipment may need to remain online.

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Starlink provides another way to get a refurbishment project connected without waiting for the finished property's permanent broadband installation.

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For property professionals managing active refurbishment projects, that can be extremely useful.

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Why Internet Matters During Refurbishment

Modern refurbishment projects increasingly depend on information that lives online.

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Architectural drawings may be stored in the cloud.

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Structural details arrive by email.

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Specifications are accessed digitally.

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Manufacturers provide installation information online.

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Project photographs are uploaded throughout the works.

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Video calls may be used to discuss issues with designers, engineers or clients.

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Even relatively modest residential projects now generate a substantial amount of digital information.

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Having internet available at the property means that information can be accessed where it is actually needed.

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Temporary Internet Before Permanent Broadband

There is often little point installing the final broadband connection at the beginning of a major refurbishment.

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The final layout may not yet exist.

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The proposed router location could still change.

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Existing cables may run through walls that are being demolished.

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The property may be undergoing a complete electrical rewire.

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You might not even have decided which broadband provider the finished property will use.

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A temporary internet connection solves a different problem.

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It keeps the project online while the building is changing.

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Permanent broadband can then be planned properly when the refurbishment is much closer to completion.

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Get the Property Connected From the Start

Imagine completing on a tired property that will require six months of work.

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The previous occupant's broadband service has ended.

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The house is empty.

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The refurbishment starts immediately.

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You could arrange another fixed broadband installation.

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But that may mean waiting for activation, potentially arranging an engineer and installing equipment into a building that is about to be substantially altered.

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Satellite internet provides another approach.

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With an appropriate Starlink business service, power and suitable sky visibility, internet can be established without first depending on the property's final fibre or telephone connection.

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For a temporary project environment, that flexibility can make considerably more sense.

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Create a Temporary Project Office

A residential refurbishment does not always have a conventional site office.

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The project office might simply be:

• A table.

• A laptop.

• A tablet.

• A set of drawings.

• Several phones.

• Perhaps a printer.

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Add reliable internet and that becomes a functioning project workspace.

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The project manager can access cloud files.

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The architect can open drawings.

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Documents can be emailed.

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Video calls can take place.

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Site photographs can be uploaded.

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Orders and deliveries can be checked.

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And when that room becomes part of the refurbishment, the temporary workspace simply moves elsewhere.

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Useful for Project Management

This is one of the reasons portable and temporary internet appeals to us at APN Connect.

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Architectural designers and project managers increasingly work between the office and the property itself.

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Being on site no longer means being disconnected from everything back at the office.

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With internet available at the project, you can access current information rather than relying entirely on documents downloaded

beforehand.

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That can be particularly useful where something unexpected is discovered.

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Open the drawing.

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Send the photograph.

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Call the engineer.

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Check the specification.

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Resolve the issue while everybody is still standing in front of it.

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Upload Project Photographs While You Are There

Photographic records are increasingly important during refurbishment.

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Once work is covered over, the opportunity to photograph it may disappear.

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Typical records might include structural alterations, insulation, drainage, electrical work, plumbing, waterproofing, fire protection and other concealed construction.

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A connected project allows those photographs to be uploaded, organised and shared while work is progressing.

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That is much better than discovering three weeks later that somebody's phone contains the only photograph of an important detail.

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Video Calls From the Property

Sometimes a photograph is not enough.

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A question arises on site and the person who needs to answer it is somewhere else.

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A live video call can allow an architect, structural engineer, specialist supplier or client to see the situation immediately.

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That can potentially avoid an additional journey and help decisions happen more quickly.

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Reliable project internet therefore becomes part of communication rather than simply a way of browsing the web.

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Internet for an Empty Refurbishment Property

There can also be long periods when nobody is at the property.

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The building may contain tools, materials and increasingly valuable fixtures as the project progresses.

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Internet can support suitable connected systems such as CCTV, alarms, heating controls, temperature monitoring and leak detection.

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The usefulness of internet therefore continues after everyone leaves for the evening.

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For a developer or landlord managing several projects, being able to remotely access connected systems can be particularly valuable.

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Security During Refurbishment

Refurbishment properties can be vulnerable.

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Windows or doors may temporarily be less secure.

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Scaffolding can provide additional access.

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Tools and materials are often left inside.

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Kitchens, boilers and appliances may be delivered before the property is fully occupied.

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A connected security system can help owners and managers monitor the building remotely.

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Starlink does not itself provide the security system, but it can provide the internet connection that appropriate connected equipment relies upon.

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Internet While the Property Is Being Rewired

A complete electrical refurbishment is a particularly good example of why temporary connectivity can help.

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The old electrical installation may be disconnected.

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Rooms are changing.

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The final broadband equipment location should ideally be coordinated with the completed electrical and data design.

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Installing permanent broadband infrastructure too early may simply create something that has to be moved later.

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Temporary internet lets the project continue while the final arrangement is developed properly.

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Plan the Finished Home Network Later

One of the advantages of temporary project internet is that it buys you time to design the permanent connection properly.

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Instead of automatically placing the finished router beside an old telephone socket, you can ask better questions.

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Where will people work from home?

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Where will televisions be located?

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Will the loft conversion need WiFi?

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Is there a rear extension?

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Will there be a garden office?

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Does the property need Ethernet cabling?

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Where should wireless access points go?

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Are CCTV and smart home systems being installed?

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A major refurbishment is the ideal opportunity to design good connectivity into the property.

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Temporary internet means you do not have to rush those decisions simply because you need WiFi during the works.

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Extensions and Loft Conversions

Refurbishment projects frequently include significant structural alterations.

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A rear extension may remove the wall where broadband equipment was originally located.

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A loft conversion introduces another floor that needs WiFi coverage.

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Internal walls may be removed.

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The electrical system may be reorganised completely.

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Trying to preserve an existing broadband arrangement throughout all of that can be unnecessarily restrictive.

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Satellite internet can provide an independent temporary connection while the permanent system evolves with the design.

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Refurbishing Property Before Letting

Landlords frequently carry out concentrated works during void periods.

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This may include decorating, upgrading kitchens and bathrooms, improving energy efficiency, renewing heating or carrying out more extensive alterations.

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The property may have no active tenant broadband during this period.

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Yet the landlord may still want connectivity for security, management and project purposes.

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A temporary internet service can bridge the gap between the previous tenancy and the finished property being ready for its next occupier.

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Refurbishing Property Before Sale

The same applies to developers refurbishing for resale.

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You may only own the finished property for a relatively short time.

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Internet is useful during construction.

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It may remain useful during staging, photography and viewings.

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Then the purchaser takes possession and chooses their own permanent broadband provider.

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In that situation, tying the development project unnecessarily to a long term conventional broadband arrangement may offer little advantage.

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Several Refurbishment Projects at Once

The proposition becomes particularly interesting for property businesses.

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A developer or landlord may have:

• One property being stripped out.

• Another approaching completion.

• A third waiting for tenants.

• A fourth being marketed.

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Starlink's current business platform allows multiple Starlink locations to be managed through the same account, while its Fixed Site plans are designed for business users with different data requirements.

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That means connectivity can potentially become part of a repeatable project setup rather than something reinvented at every property.

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A Standard Refurbishment Project Setup

A property business could eventually have a straightforward project routine.

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Take possession of the building.

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Arrange power.

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Establish temporary internet.

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Connect project devices.

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Connect appropriate security and monitoring.

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Run the refurbishment.

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Install the finished property's permanent data infrastructure.

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Complete the project.

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Then decide what role, if any, Starlink will have at the finished property.

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That is a much more systematic approach to connectivity.

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Starlink Business for Refurbishment Projects

The correct service plan matters.

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Starlink's current Fair Use Policy states that its Residential service is intended for personal, family or household use and is not permitted for business or enterprise use. Its Priority services are designed for higher demand users including businesses.

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A property company, developer, professional project manager or other business using Starlink operationally should therefore investigate the appropriate business service rather than automatically selecting a Residential package.

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Starlink's current UK Fixed Site business offering includes different Priority allowances according to expected usage, from small business and backup connectivity through to services intended for larger numbers of simultaneous users.

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You Probably Do Not Need the Biggest Business Plan

A residential refurbishment project is very different from a large commercial construction site.

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Perhaps only two or three people need internet regularly.

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The main requirements may be email, drawings, cloud files, video calls and security.

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There is little point paying for capacity intended for considerably larger numbers of users unless the project actually requires it.

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The service should match the job.

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Quick Setup Is the Real Attraction

On a refurbishment project, convenience may matter more than achieving the fastest theoretical broadband speed.

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You want something that can be established quickly.

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You do not necessarily want another contractor appointment.

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You may not want cabling installed through areas about to be demolished.

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You need enough capacity to run normal project activities.

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Starlink describes its Fixed Site business equipment as designed for self installation and says it can be brought online quickly where there is a suitable view of the sky.

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That is much closer to the way temporary project connectivity needs to work.

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What Does Starlink Need on a Refurbishment Project?

The basic requirements are straightforward.

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The equipment needs power.

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It needs an appropriate view of the sky.

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It needs a safe and secure location.

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And you need the correct service plan for the way it will be used.

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The last two points deserve particular attention on a refurbishment.

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Equipment should not be positioned where it can be damaged by building operations.

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Scaffolding, temporary roofs and new extensions can also change sky visibility as the project develops.

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The installation position may therefore need reviewing as the building changes.

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Permanent Mounting Is Not Always Necessary at the Beginning

A refurbishment project is temporary by definition.

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The finished roof, elevation or landscaping may still be changing.

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There may be little reason to decide the final permanent antenna position during the first week.

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A suitable temporary arrangement can sometimes make more sense while the project develops, provided the equipment is positioned safely and in accordance with the provider's installation requirements.

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Once the finished building is understood, a more permanent arrangement can be considered if Starlink is going to remain.

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Starlink or 4G and 5G for Refurbishment?

Mobile broadband is another very good temporary solution.

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If the property receives excellent 5G coverage, a mobile router may be cheap, compact and perfectly adequate.

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Starlink becomes particularly interesting where the mobile network is poor, the property is rural, fixed broadband has been disconnected or the business specifically values an internet connection using different infrastructure.

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There is no reason to pretend one technology is always best.

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The objective is to get the project connected efficiently.

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What About Existing Fibre Broadband?

If excellent fibre broadband is already active and will remain untouched throughout the works, keep using it.

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There is little point introducing another technology simply because it exists.

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Starlink is most compelling where the existing fixed connection is absent, inconvenient, disrupted or unlikely to survive the refurbishment intact.

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That is the problem it solves.

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From Refurbishment to Finished Home

As the project approaches completion, the connectivity requirement changes.

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Temporary project internet gives way to the needs of the eventual occupier.

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That may mean:

• Full fibre broadband.

• Starlink Residential for an owner occupied home.

• An appropriate commercial connection for a rental or business property.

• Good internal WiFi.

• Ethernet cabling.

• Mesh networking.

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Connections for home offices, televisions and smart equipment.

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The temporary project solution and permanent household solution do not have to be identical.

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A Useful Tool for Architectural and Property Professionals

Refurbishment projects involve a growing number of people who work digitally.

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Architectural designers.

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Project managers.

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Surveyors.

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Engineers.

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Property developers.

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Landlords.

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Managing agents.

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Contractors.

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Having a reliable internet connection available at the actual property allows those professionals to work much more effectively when they visit.

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For us, this is one of the most convincing real world uses of flexible internet.

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Who Should Consider Starlink for a Refurbishment Project?

Starlink is particularly worth investigating where the property will be under refurbishment for a significant period, the existing broadband has been disconnected, project management depends heavily on cloud systems, CCTV or monitoring is required, the building is rural, or the final permanent broadband installation is not yet ready.

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For a simple two week decorating job in a home with excellent fibre already working, it would probably be unnecessary.

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For a six month whole house refurbishment with no active fixed broadband, the case can be very different.

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Keep the Project Connected While the Property Changes Around It

A refurbishment project is temporary.

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Your need for internet is not.

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From accessing drawings and uploading site records to security, monitoring and project management, connectivity can be useful from the first day of the project until the finished property is ready for occupation.

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Starlink gives property professionals another way to provide that connection without making the unfinished building dependent upon its final broadband infrastructure.