Frequently Asked Questions

Satellite broadband provides a way of connecting to the internet without the need for a traditional wired connection. Instead of connecting to the internet via cables that run from an exchange into your house, satellite broadband allows you to connect to the internet using a satellite dish installed on your house that transmits and receives information to and from our satellite in space.

All the equipment you need to receive Konnect satellite broadband will be made available.  This includes the satellite dish, the transceiver, the modem and cabling.  



The satellite dish 

In most cases the dish will be positioned on an outside wall of your house. The standard dish is 74 cm in diameter and needs a clear view of the southern sky. 



The transceiver  

The transceiver faces into the dish to pick up the signal.



The modem 

The modem is a small electronic box, as in traditional broadband. Our installer will run a cable from the dish into your house to connect to the modem. You can then connect your devices to the Internet directly to the modem using an ethernet cable or wirelessly using the integrated WiFi.  

Latency affects all types of internet connection. It is the time taken from when you request data to when you receive it. If you are using superfast fibre networks the latency will be so short you won't notice it. With satellite broadband, latency is longer. That’s because the signal has to go up into space and then back down again.  What that means is that web pages might take a little longer to load at first, or a streaming service like Netflix might take longer to start. Certain apps on your phone in particular banking apps might seem a little slower starting up than you are used to.  However, this doesn’t mean the internet service is ‘slow’, it just reflects how the internet is delivered to your home via our satellite in space so once you are browsing or streaming there is no difference

The average latency in satellite communications is around 600 milliseconds. You shouldn't notice this when browsing, streaming video or listening to music. But it is noticeable when you need fast two-way communications. For example, you may well experience a lag when video conferencing on a tool such as Teams or Zoom. This lag will be too great for some types of online games. Read more in our detailed overview of latency with satellite Internet.

If you are an avid gamer, especially if you play fast-paced, multiplayer games like Fortnight or Call of Duty, you’ll notice the higher latency. Your character might not move when you move the controller and you’ll be beaten by players with lower latency as even if you push the button first, there will be a short lag on your side. That's why we don't recommend satellite broadband for gaming. 

Our installers will advise on the best location to install the satellite dish, but if you would like to get an idea of where on your property this might be, you can download our app. You can download the Konnect Install App from the App Store or Google Play. Once you have it, simply grant location access and permission to use your camera, this will allow you to see the location of our satellite in your surroundings and highlight where the dish would be best placed. It's important that the Konnect equipment has a clear line of sight to the satellite. All this means, is that there should be no tall trees or other buildings between the equipment and the sky. 

The Konnect equipment needs to be installed in a fixed location and pointed towards our satellite in space. This means it cannot be moved. The dish does not automatically orient itself towards the satellite in space and it is not designed to provide satellite communications on the move. You also can't use it outside of the country for which it was purchased.

There are a few basic requirements for installing satellite broadband. The system requires a satellite dish to be installed on your house, so it is important your building material can support this dish. For example, we can’t install on wooden structures. If your house is made of anything other than brick, block or concrete, you will need to give our satellite specialists a call before signing up to discuss installation options. 

If your house is rented, you will need written approval from your landlord before signing up. Similarly, you will need approval from the relevant authority to install the dish on a listed building or in a conservation area.

It’s helpful to consider whether you have or used to have a satellite TV dish on your house. If yes, we can be confident that you can have a Konnect dish on your house and it will be installed in a similar area.

This sounds technical, but is quite simple. When we refer to line of sight, we are talking about the path between the Konnect satellite dish that will be installed on your property and the Konnect satellite in space. A clear path is needed between the two, free from any obstructions such as trees or tall buildings. When we say you need a clear line of sight, we mean you need a clear view of the sky in the direction of our satellite. Checking whether you have line of sight is easy when you use our Konnect Install app. Its available on the App Store or Google Play. Once you have it, simply grant location access and permission to use your camera, this will allow you to see the location of our satellite in your surroundings and highlight where the dish would be best placed. Be sure to position yourself along the southern wall of your property to get the best line to the satellite. It is important that you carry out this check before placing your order. 

Most Konnect customers have a standard installation of the Konnect equipment where the satellite dish is installed high on an outside wall, using a standard tripod bracket. Below is an example of a standard installation.

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In some instances, we provide additional services to overcome challenges with the line of sight or the building material the dish needs to be installed on. We’ve included a few examples below.

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Our installers will contact you by phone to arrange a convenient time for installation. It’s important that you are available, and at your property, at the agreed time. We’ve prepared a detail guide that walks you through each step of the installation process here. 

The Internet is a tool that is open to the entire world, and it can serve as a vehicle for many different kinds of threats to your IT equipment, the security of your personal data and your private life. We recommend that our customers find out about potential threats and obtain protection (anti-virus software, etc.).

Internet access opens up the world and provides many opportunities. However, children may access information that could be offensive, and they could come into contact with people with malicious intent. We recommend that our customers find out about these threats and use a parental control tool to protect their children from potential danger. To assist you with this we have listed some of these tools in the Standard Information Sheet provided on konnect.com.