Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet system is being deployed in Lincolnshire to address connectivity challenges facing farmers and rural businesses in areas without access to fibre broadband infrastructure.
On 11 September 2026, Lincolnshire County Council formally announced the pilot scheme, which will see the authority purchase and install Starlink equipment on properties within its County Farms estate that currently lack fibre connections. The estate comprises approximately 16,500 acres and 149 tenant holdings across the county.
Paul Lock, executive councillor for the economy, outlined the rationale for the initiative:
"This pilot will help us see whether satellite broadband could offer a real practical solution for farms and other rural businesses that struggle with poor connectivity."
He emphasised the growing importance of reliable internet access to agricultural operations:
"Today, so much farming depends on being connected, from paperwork and accounting, to livestock management, or simply everyday communication. In reality, it's becoming harder and harder to run a business without good internet access."
What will the pilot assess?
The council will evaluate multiple performance metrics to determine whether satellite broadband represents a viable long-term solution for rural connectivity. According to the council's announcement, the assessment will measure reliability, resilience, download and upload speeds, ease of installation, ongoing operation, and the impact on farm businesses.
The scheme has been developed in partnership with the Greater Lincolnshire Forum for Agriculture and Horticulture, bringing together local agricultural expertise with the council's infrastructure capabilities.
How will farmers participate?
Farmers interested in taking part in the trial are being invited to submit expressions of interest to the council. The council is currently gathering expressions of interest from County Farms estate tenants to identify which properties will participate in the initial phase and to assess the technology's benefits and performance across different farm types and locations.
Once the Starlink infrastructure is installed on participating properties, farmers would need to contract directly with Starlink for a subscription package to access the service. This arrangement means the council will provide the equipment installation while individual farmers manage their own service agreements with the satellite provider.
What happens next?
The immediate priority is for interested farmers on the County Farms estate to submit expressions of interest so the council can identify and select pilot participants. Following this recruitment phase, the council will oversee the installation of Starlink equipment and begin monitoring performance across the agreed metrics.
SpaceX, the company behind Starlink, has launched thousands of satellites into orbit to provide internet services to remote and rural areas globally. The Lincolnshire pilot represents a test case for whether this technology can effectively address the persistent connectivity challenges facing UK agricultural communities in areas where traditional fibre rollout remains economically unviable.
