Cader NetworksThe short answer
If you can see usable mobile signal at your property, 4G fixed-wireless is usually the lower-cost, lower-fuss option. If you're in a deep valley, signal-blocked from all four UK mobile networks, or need faster upload speeds than 4G provides, Starlink is the answer.
For some properties, typically holiday-lets and businesses with critical uptime, running both as primary/backup is the right call.
Cost, up front and ongoing
4G fixed-wireless is cheaper to install. A router and a multi-network SIM is the standard kit, plus an external antenna if signal needs lifting at your property. Install can usually happen within a week of order, and you're not committing to expensive equipment.
Starlink has a higher up-front cost, the dish and router cost more than a 4G router, and the install is more involved (professional mast or roof mount, weatherproof cable run, line-of-sight survey). Monthly costs for Starlink are also typically higher than equivalent 4G plans.
For most rural Welsh homes, 4G works out at around half the total first-year cost of Starlink. For genuinely remote properties where 4G isn't viable, Starlink is the only realistic option.
Speed and latency
Real-world Welsh 4G speeds usually sit in the 30–80 Mbps range, depending on which mast you're nearest and how busy it is. With an external antenna and a good signal, we've seen 100+ Mbps on EE and Vodafone in mid-Wales.
Starlink consistently delivers 50–250 Mbps in our experience, with much faster upload speeds than 4G. Latency is also typically lower and more consistent than rural 4G.
For video calls, working from home and most everyday use, both are fine. For heavy upload (large file transfers, video upload, live broadcast) Starlink has a clear edge.
Weather, terrain and reliability
4G depends on the local mast staying up and on signal quality at your property, which can be affected by terrain, vegetation and building work in the area. Most Welsh rural 4G installs we do are stable; a small minority have signal that drops in certain weather conditions.
Starlink is satellite-based and works almost anywhere with a clear view of the sky. Heavy rain and snow can briefly degrade signal but the system is designed for it. The bigger weather problem is wind on poorly-mounted dishes, our installs are mounted to spec.
Who we install each for
Typical 4G customers in rural Wales: smallholdings with viable signal, single-house lets, family homes where fibre hasn't reached and probably won't soon. See our home 4G broadband page.
Typical Starlink customers: hill farms past the end of the fibre line, valley properties signal-blocked from all four mobile networks, holiday cottages with no fixed line and businesses where the upload speed matters. See our Starlink installation page.
If you're not sure which fits, send us your postcode. We'll check what's available and tell you straight which we'd recommend for your address.