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Fire and safety · Set up off-grid communications · safety-14Install satellite internet
Low Earth orbit satellite services now bring broadband to remote sites. They are the main link for many off-grid homes, but they need a clear view of the sky and steady power.
How
- Choose the device with comms-15, which compares satellite services and what they depend on.
- Use the provider's app to check sky visibility at the planned dish spot. Trees and buildings that block part of the sky cause dropouts.
- Check the dish's power draw and climate rating on the maker's spec sheet. For example, Starlink lists 50 to 75 W average power, an IP54 rating, an operating range of -30 to 50 C and snow melt up to 40 mm per hour for its Standard kit.
- Add the dish and router to the power module's critical loads list so they run from the battery during outages.
- Mount the dish securely for local wind loads and route cables so they do not create a lightning path into the house.
- Use the internet link to receive official weather and fire warnings and to set up Wi-Fi calling.
- Satellite phones, messengers and terminals need approval in some countries. Example (India): use needs a licence or no objection certificate, Thuraya and Iridium are not authorised, and breaking the rules can mean confiscation, fines or arrest. Check comms-4 first.
Safety: Work at height only with proper ladders, harness or scaffold, and never near overhead power lines.
Do these first
Sources
- Starlink Product Specifications: Standard. Starlink (SpaceX), accessed 2026-11
- Satellite phones in India: not banned, but tightly regulated (April 2026). Business Today (India example), accessed 2026-11