Konnect satellite broadband brought strong internet connections to rural communities. In this guide, we explore how you could ditch fixed-line providers, take a look into what exactly satellite broadband is, and what packages were available with Konnect before they stopped accepting new customers.
Konnect has stopped accepting new domestic customers! Konnect has stopped accepting new domestic customers onto its network. This means you can no longer sign up for a deal with Konnect unless you require business broadband. This guide shows what used to be on offer from Konnect.
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Who Are Konnect Broadband Ireland?
Konnect is a satellite broadband specialist, focused on providing reliable internet services to those who had either limited or nonexistent access to traditional fixed-line networks. Konnect is owned by Eutelsat, which has been the leading provider of satellite broadband services across Europe since 2012.
In 2020, the Eutelsat Konnect satellite was launched, providing a strong signal across much of Europe and Africa, and it is from this satellite that Konnect provided broadband to Irish homes. As a satellite broadband specialist, Konnect did not provide any alternate forms of broadband outside of satellite services. Additionally, their packages were only available to domestic customers.
You may be familiar with a satellite broadband company called Bigblu. This company was a popular choice for satellite broadband in Ireland and was purchased by Eutelsat in autumn 2020 for a sum of €38,000,000. This merge helped to strengthen Eutelsat and provided further resources for the extension of Eutelsat-Konnect services.
What Exactly Is Satellite Broadband?
Satellite broadband is basically what it says on the tin; broadband provided to you via satellites. In order to avail of this service, a broadband provider will have to install a satellite dish on your home. Once fully set up, this dish will detect signals emitted from a satellite orbiting the earth, which itself gets its signals from a broadcasting station on earth.
The signal from your satellite dish will be passed from the dish itself to a router within your home, which in turn will emit this as WiFi. By getting rid of the need of having a fixed-network connection, such as with fibre, SIRO or ADSL, satellite broadband is ideally suited to provide service to rural communities and places that cannot yet access established networks.
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Pros and Cons of Konnect Satellite Broadband Ireland
As we have briefly touched on above, satellite broadband is unique in that you do not need an established local terrestrial network in order to be able to access online services. That being said, there are of course other positives and negatives to satellite broadband, which we take a look at below:
Advantages
- Does not need a landline or fixed-line connection.
- Much wider coverage than fixed-line networks.
- Sufficient speeds for most tasks.
- Long-life installations and dishes
- Faster than ADSL and some mobile broadband plans.
Disadvantages
- Very limited provider selection.
- Moderate latency and limited data usage allowances.
- Requires a satellite dish installation.
- Can be affected by poor weather.
- Much slower than fibre and SIRO.
Satellite broadband is currently more of a niche market, unlike the traditional ADSL and fibre options. With stable internet connection gradually becoming a core utility for everyday life, however, broadband providers are gradually looking towards this section of the market as a way to expand upon their services, so we can expect to see further growth and diversification of this sector in the near future.
What Were the Konnect Broadband Ireland Packages?
There were only three packages available through Konnect, which were based on the amount of speed you required, and what volume of priority data allowance you desired. Both the Lite and Plus packages featured a discounted initial period but these prices would increase after the period expired.
| Package Name | Monthly Price | Contract Length | Average Speeds | Priority Data Allowance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | €37.90 | 12 Months | 20 Mbps Download, 3 Mbps Uploads |
50 Gb P/M |
| Lite | €37.90 for 3 Months €47.90 Thereafter |
12 Months | 37 Mbps Download, 3 Mbps Uploads |
75 Gb P/M |
| Plus | €47.90 for 3 Months €67.90 Thereafter |
12 Months | 75 Mbps Download, 3 Mbps Uploads |
150 Gb P/M |
Last Updated: 15/08/2022
When browsing other satellite broadband providers such as Digiweb, Rural WiFi and Irish Satellite Broadband, you may notice that their plan names and pricing are almost identical to those of Konnect. This is because those providers also use the Eutelsat-Konnect satellite rather than their own independent systems, and so their prices align with each other.
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What Is Priority Data Allowance?
While all Konnects packages featured unlimited data usage, what was limited was your priority speed allowance. Each of the above packages came with a set amount of data that was prioritised. Once you used your data allowance, rather than cutting you off as some providers might, Konnect opted to continue providing you with internet services, but at a reduced speed until your monthly allowance was renewed.
Data used between the hours of 1 am and 6 am was not counted towards your priority data allowance. As such, where possible you needed to plan ahead and schedule any data-heavy downloads such as films or games during these hours to avoid eating up your allowance.
How Much Data Do I Need?
This will of course depend upon what you did online, and how many people were using the internet in your household. Below is a rough guide to what common activities require, but bear in mind, that these speeds are per person. If there are multiple people in your home doing similar activities at once, you should multiply these speeds by the number of people present.
| Internet Activity | Advised Broadband Speed |
|---|---|
| Sending Emails | 1 Mbps |
| Browsing Social Media | 1-5 Mbps |
| Streaming Music | 2 Mbps |
| Streaming HD Movies | 5 Mbps |
| Online Gaming | 10 Mbps+ |
| Working Online From Home | 5-25 Mbps |
As we can see from the packages above, if you only use the internet for occasional light taste, then the Starter package would be been sufficient. For those who used the internet regularly, then the Lite or Plus packages were the way to go, both in terms of speeds, and data allowance.
How fast is your internet? Our free internet speed test will show you how speedy your connection is, and what you can do to get the best out of your broadband. This is important for knowing whether you're getting what your paying for! According to Comreg, slow speeds can also be a case for cancelling your broadband without paying an exit fee.
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What Was Konnect Satellite Installation?
Though those who were interested in using Konnects services, you could opt for self-installation by contacting the customer service team. For most of us who aren't so handy with a spanner, an expert installation would have been required, which naturally, had to be paid for. If you have opted for the Plus package, then installations are complimentary, however, the Starter and Lite options came with a charge of:
- Starter - €149
- Lite - €79
After completing your order, you would have a satellite dish, transceiver and modem delivered to your property. The installation itself would take place within the following three weeks from your order completion.
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Can I Still Contact Konnect?
Even though the provider is no longer accepting new customer, whether you want to query a package, raise a complaint, or take compare broadband packages, you can still get in touch with them. The good news is that Konnect keeps its options very simple and streamlined, and consists of the detail below.
| Phone Number | Email Address | Social Media |
|---|---|---|
| 04493 10800 9 am to 5 pm (cost of a local call) |
[email protected] | Facebook, Twitter, Instagram |
What Were the Konnect Satellite Broadband Reviews Like?
An important factor to consider before taking out a contract, is how a company's customers feel about the service they have received. While often review sites such as Trustpilot can be seen as complaint platforms, they can still give a useful insight into a company's overall customer dedication.
In this instance, Konnect satellite broadband reviews rated at 2.8 stars out of 5 by 340 reviewers. This rating may seem a little low, however, most broadband providers receive an overall rating of 2 stars or less, and so Konnect's higher than average score is certainly noteworthy.
Customers praised the professionalism and expertise of both the Konnect customer service and installation engineers. There were also a few reviews that voiced negative views on the product quality, with some citing patchy signals and throttled speeds. It is for these reasons that it is very important to read the package terms and conditions in advance and to talk to a member of customer service to get a package that suited your home.
To find out how Konnect weighs up versus other broadband providers, take a read through our broadband provider review page.
Konnect Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Use a VPN With Satellite Internet?
Yes. However, as satellite broadband tends to have a higher latency than other forms of broadband, adding a VPN into the mix could result in further degradation of responsiveness and speeds.
Is Konnect Satellite Broadband Better Than Mobile Broadband?
While satellite broadband and mobile broadband fulfil a similar purpose, they did differ in how they worked.
Satellite broadband picks up signals emitted from space via a dish on your home, resulting in reliable speeds but high latency. Mobile broadband works by picking up local mobile network signals and emitting them from the router as WiFi. They both result in similar speeds, however satellite broadband is more suitable for rural homes. If your home has a good mobile network connection though, you can avoid the dish installation by going for mobile broadband instead.
Is the Konnect Satellite Dish Self-Orienting?
No. The Konnect satellite dish required manual positioning, and will not self-orient with the satellite. The engineer conducted tests at the time of installation to ensure that the satellite was in the optimal position. If strong wind or other forces adjusted your satellite dish to a sub-optimal position, you could download the Konnect Install app available on both Apple and Google stores to correctly adjust your dish to regain strong signals.
Do I Need Permission to Install a Satellite on My Home?
Potentially. If your home was rented, you needed written permission from your landlord authorising the installation of a satellite dish. Likewise, if you lived in a historical or conservation area, you needed to contact the relevant authorities to see if the installation was permitted.
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