Starlink is a low-Earth orbit satellite internet service that delivers reliable, unthrottled broadband wherever there is a clear view of the sky — completely independent of local network infrastructure, mobile coverage, or IT departments. For Avatour users, this is a significant shift: Starlink does not just replace missing connectivity, it creates Wi-Fi where none existed before.

This article explains when to use Starlink, which hardware to choose, and how to set it up for use with Avatour.

Why Starlink is different from a cellular hotspot

A cellular hotspot depends on mobile network coverage, which can be patchy, throttled, or simply absent at many industrial and remote sites. Starlink has none of these dependencies. Key differences:

• No throttling. Starlink delivers consistent bandwidth regardless of local network congestion. You get the same reliable connection at a remote construction site as in a city office.
• No coverage gaps. Anywhere with a view of the sky — offshore platforms, rural construction sites, open fields — is within reach.
• No SIM procurement, no APN settings, no carrier negotiations. You own the connection end to end.
• Low latency. Because Starlink uses low-Earth orbit satellites (not geostationary), round-trip latency is typically 20–40ms — well within the requirements for live 360° video.

The result is a connectivity experience that is closer to a good local Wi-Fi network than to a mobile hotspot.

How Starlink works with Avatour

The Starlink dish creates a standard Wi-Fi network. The Avatour 360° camera connects to it exactly as it would to any other Wi-Fi — no special configuration is required on the Avatour side. Once the dish is set up and online, your workflow is identical to using local Wi-Fi.

Avatour’s bandwidth requirement is modest:

• 1 Mbps — sufficient when the camera is stationary and the video has stabilised
• 5 Mbps — recommended when moving the camera around the site
• 10 Mbps — ideal, providing comfortable headroom for all scenarios

Starlink delivers speeds far in excess of these requirements: 50–150 Mbps on the Mini and 100–300 Mbps on the Standard dish in typical real-world use. Connectivity will not be your bottleneck.

Which Starlink hardware to choose

Starlink Mini — Portable deployments and audit kits

The Starlink Mini is a compact, lightweight dish (approximately 1.1kg) with a built-in Wi-Fi router. It fits in a backpack, sets up in minutes, and runs on low power — making it ideal for deployments where the kit needs to move between sites.

Typical use with Avatour: Place the Mini near a window or outside with a clear sky view. It creates its own Wi-Fi network that the Avatour camera connects to directly. For indoor use deeper in a building, a small travel router (such as a GL.iNet device) can be connected via Ethernet to extend the Wi-Fi coverage further inside.

Hardware cost: approximately $249 (or $199 for new customers with activation benefit).

Plan: Starlink Roam. Regional Roam starts at $50/month for 50 GB priority data; Global Roam (for international deployments) at $165/month for unlimited data. No contract — cancel or pause at any time.

Starlink Standard — Fixed site installations

The Starlink Standard dish is designed for permanent or semi-permanent installation. It delivers higher throughput than the Mini and is the right choice for a site that will be used repeatedly over months or years.

Typical use with Avatour: Mounted on a mast or rooftop, the Standard dish provides site-wide Wi-Fi coverage — just like a conventional broadband connection, but without any cable infrastructure. Construction sites, energy installations, and remote industrial facilities can have enterprise-grade connectivity from day one.

Hardware cost: approximately $349.

Plan: Starlink Residential from $80/month (unlimited data, no throttling). For business-critical deployments requiring priority bandwidth, Starlink Business plans start at $250/month and deliver 135–310 Mbps with guaranteed priority data.

Sites this unlocks for Avatour

Starlink removes connectivity as a barrier for a set of sites that were previously difficult or impossible to service consistently:

• Construction sites (early stage). Before any IT infrastructure is in place, a Starlink dish on site means Avatour live meetings are available from day one. No waiting for network buildout.
• Remote and offshore installations. Energy platforms, mining sites, open-field logistics hubs — any location where cellular coverage is absent or unreliable.
• Brownfield and legacy sites. Older facilities where Wi-Fi was never built out, or where the existing network is too restricted for guest device access.
• Large-scale distributed audit programmes. A portable Starlink Mini kit can be shipped to each site in a rotation — the auditor sets it up in minutes, runs the Avatour session, and ships it on. No dependency on local IT, no firewall negotiations, no per-site setup beyond plugging in the dish.
• Supplier and third-party site audits. When connecting to a host organisation’s network is not possible due to IT policy or firewall restrictions, a self-contained Starlink kit makes the audit completely independent of the supplier’s infrastructure.

Setup steps

Setting up Starlink for use with Avatour takes approximately 10–15 minutes:

1. Position the dish with a clear, unobstructed view of the sky. For the Mini, a windowsill, rooftop edge, or outdoor surface works well. Use the Starlink app to check for obstructions before committing to a position.
2. Connect the dish to power. The Mini draws 40–75W and can be powered from a standard socket or a portable power station.
3. Wait for the dish to connect (typically 2–5 minutes on first setup; faster on subsequent power-ons).
4. Connect the Avatour camera to the Starlink Wi-Fi network, using the network name and password shown in the Starlink app.
5. Run the Avatour Connectivity Test to confirm sufficient bandwidth before starting your meeting.

Things to keep in mind

• Dish placement. Only the dish itself needs a clear view of the sky — it can be placed on a windowsill, balcony, rooftop edge, or any outdoor surface. The Wi-Fi signal it creates reaches indoors just like any router, and can be extended further with a travel router or Wi-Fi repeater connected via Ethernet. In practice, even large indoor spaces are easily covered.
• Data limits on Roam plans. The Regional Roam plan includes 50 GB of priority data per month, after which speeds may be deprioritised during congested periods. For high-frequency use across many sites, the Global Roam unlimited plan ($165/month) or a Residential plan is more appropriate.
• No formal SLA. Starlink does not currently offer a financially backed uptime guarantee. For mission-critical deployments, consider pairing it with a cellular hotspot as a backup.
• Procurement. In large organisations, hardware procurement and IT approval may add lead time. Factor this in when planning first deployments.

For an overview of all connectivity options and guidance on which to choose for your site, see What are my onsite connectivity options for live Avatour meetings?