Internet

Like it or not, we have become dependent on internet access when RVing.

Starlink has been a game changer with the ability to get internet wherever we are. However, it is not without challenges. In motion plans are expensive, if you park under a tree or been in a heavy weather pattern, you may have found very poor or no access. You may also have found that when you have good 5G coverage, that speed is often better when looking at both down and upload. At the same time, 5G cell providers are all trying to compete, adding coverage, but there are still gaps in their individual coverage. So what do you do? Can we combine the best of both worlds?

A long time customer, we partnered with MobileMustHave, and their new RoamLink offering which is something never seen before. What it really does, it gives us options to configure an internet solution that is right for each customer's specific needs. Right, there is no one right solution. Below we will talk about two components and a combined offering that some may say is the ultimate one. However, there may be portions of it you won't need or may even want to beef up.

Starlink

When Starlink entered the market, it promised to be the end all be all for internet access. It did indeed open up access in the most remote camping locations. It solved all those issues with minimal or no cell coverage. Speeds, especially downloads, where very good, most of the time. As subscribers multiplied, it did throttle speed unless you paid the premium fee. In motion connectivity became another premium and if you have Starlink, you know about trees and stormy weather. Nevertheless, it is an awesome product, that with a clear sky, you are going to have a decent connection. Starlink now offers several size dishes as well as various programs including on land versus on sea as well as stationary and in motion plans.

RoamLink

5G cell providers were not sitting by idle watching Elon send more and more satellites into the sky and 5G coverage maps are getting better each day. However, Verizon, ATT, and T-Mobile each have their priority areas and thus each have their own map of poor coverage. What Roamlink figured out, was that they could sit as a plan provider, seamlessly accessing all the providers network infrastructure, providing a virtual coverage map that blankets the country (see picture at top of this post). Roamlink offers several plans including those with limited amount of data as well as unlimited.

Starlink and RoamLink

So while either of the above systems may be right for you, if you are relying on the internet and can not afford for it to be unavailable, the combination of Starlink and RoamLink may be the ultimate. And while you may have Starlink and some cell provider as the back up via hotspot today, MobileMustHave offers several very nice options using a combination of hardware and software that makes that combination seamless. First is the either/or option where one provider is the primary, say Starlink, but if it starts to have connectivity issues, the Roamlink 5G coverage seamlessly takes over. As an end user, you would not even know. As Starlink has unlimited data in their plans and usually provides a good connection, this could be a good option together with a limited GB plan on RoamLink. If you want even greater performance, the software can be configures such that it uses Starlink and Roamlink as a combined force, continuously using the fastest up and down connection respectively and again seamlessly, resulting in a considerably throughout speed improvement. This would require the Roamlink unlimited data plan.

Which is best for you

This can only be answered by specifically looking at the needs and the volumes of the individual users. Configuring the best option and system for you is part of the Barclay RV deliverable. We work in partnership with MobileMustHave to ensure you have the best possible solution for you.