Bahamas Starlink Point of Presence (PoP)

Did anyone else run into some Starlink issues this month?
It’s Tom here, hoping to share some insights about the Starlink changes that happened recently. Like many cruisers, we rely on Starlink as our primary internet source. With the rapid the advancements of SpaceX and Starlink, we knew this day was coming.

Waking up in George Town this morning, we discovered some major internet routing changes. Since these issues are likely impacting many cruisers, I wanted to share what I know so far and how we quickly got around it.

Miami → Nassau
It appears that there was a cutover to a new point of presence (PoP), in Nassau. Previously, the nearest routing location to the Bahamas was in Miami, meaning all internet traffic was routed back through the United States. Starlink is very tight with their specific network architecture, so you’re most likely not going to see a press release stating exactly what’s changed. The Netify.ai summary page has the only details I’ve been able to find on the Nassau PoP.

Until now, US subscription-based services like Netflix, Hulu or HBO couldn’t tell the difference if you were in the Abacos, Exuma or Miami. With this major shift in routing internet traffic through Nassau, those US-based subscriptions most likely no longer work. Even our Vizio Smart TV gave an error that it was no longer available in our region.

Our Solution
We use a Peplink mobile router to customize our device connections to the internet. This allows us to prioritize the connections for our safety and work devices, while not blowing through our data on streaming or internet surfing. It also offers virtual private network (VPN) capabilities to drive internet traffic to a specific location. Peplink calls this SpeedFusion Connect on their devices. In our case, we route all our internet traffic through Miami. There are also options to route through other areas in the US or in other countries.

To bypass this new routing though Nassau, we added all our device MAC addresses (phones, TV and iPad) to the VPN. The Peplink VPN package gives you an allotted amount of data to use, either on a monthly or yearly basis. This means by adding more devices, we will likely use a lot more of that VPN data package.

In researching the options out there, it’s pretty cost-effective to add additional data. We can add a terabyte of annual data for $40 or move to an unlimited plan for $100 a month.

I know that many cruisers prefer to embrace being disconnected from the internet. And, good on you for that! I wish we could disconnect more often than we do but when your job is dependent on your connection to the outside world, reliable internet is a non-negotiable.

Other Potential Solutions
If you don’t already have the Peplink hardware on your boat, that’s obviously not an option for you. Luckily, there are a number of reputable, third-party VPNs out there that can help you achieve the same outcome. They allow you to set your virtual location, bypassing international restrictions.

The point of a VPN is to protect the privacy of your information and data. Some popular VPNs, even those endorsed by many popular YouTube channels, have been known to track, store and sell user data. I implore you to do your own research and make a smart decision when choosing a third-party VPN.

If I didn’t have the Peplink hardware installed, I would look into NordVPN, Proton VPN or ExpressVPN. I would highly suggest avoiding any free VPN options as they are under no obligation to protect any of your data.

Happy Internet Surfing
I hope this helps you understand what changed overnight and a few options you have to bypass the new Starlink internet routing location.

If you have questions or other potential solutions, please share them here! I’d love to explore what else is out there.