Starlink for Mining: Choosing Kits, Installation, and Networks at Remote Sites
Mine sites are far from fiber, yet production reports, fleet GPS, CCTV, and attendance still have to get through. Here is how to plan Starlink so the internet actually reaches the work areas.
At many mine sites in Kalimantan, mobile signal exists only at certain points and fiber has not arrived. Starlink fills that gap: low-orbit satellite internet fast enough for video calls, report uploads, and CCTV monitoring from head office.
The challenge is rarely the dish. What usually fails is everything around it: the mounting point, power, and the network that carries the internet from the dish to the mess, workshop, and guard posts.
What does a mine site need the internet for?
- Production and haul reports sent every shift instead of waiting for a courier to town.
- Fleet management: GPS, fuel sensor, and operator behavior data from units to the dashboard.
- CCTV and PPE detection monitored remotely by the HSE team.
- Attendance and rosters for employees living in the mess.
- Communication with head office and employees' personal needs during rotation.
This list sets how much bandwidth you need and how many points must be connected, so write it down before choosing a kit.
Choosing a Starlink kit
- Starlink Standard: for a site office or mess with a limited number of users.
- Starlink Enterprise: for fixed business locations. A longer cable that connects to your own router or network, useful when the dish must sit far from the server room.
- Starlink Performance: for extreme conditions such as strong wind, heat, vibration, and use on vehicles. The choice for points near the pit or on moving units.
- Starlink Mini: portable and can run from a battery, for surveys, exploration, or temporary posts.
Large sites usually use more than one kit: one for the office and operational systems, another for the mess, so personal use does not slow down work applications.
Choosing the mounting point
- Clear sky view: trees, cliffs, and tall buildings can interrupt the connection. Check with the Starlink app during the survey.
- Height and pole: a sturdy bolted pole is safer than a vibrating metal roof.
- Dust and vibration: keep away from haul roads and blasting areas, or choose a Performance kit.
- Lightning and grounding: open sites in Kalimantan are lightning-prone. The pole and devices need proper grounding.
Bringing the internet to the mess, workshop, and posts
The standard Starlink router usually covers one building. For a site with several buildings, design the network as you would for an office:
- Router and switch in a safe, shaded room.
- Outdoor access points at the mess and workshop.
- Point-to-point radio links or fiber for distant buildings.
- Separate networks (VLANs) for operations, CCTV, and employees, with bandwidth priority for work applications.
Power supply
Many sites switch the generator off at night, yet CCTV and data transfer must keep running. The options:
- UPS to hold devices while the generator switches over or stops briefly.
- Solar panels and batteries for points far from the generator or that must run 24 hours.
Battery capacity is calculated from the power of the kit, router, and access points multiplied by the hours without the generator.
Network security
- Change the router's default password and admin account.
- Separate guest and employee WiFi from the CCTV and operational network.
- Update device firmware regularly.
- Record who holds the Starlink account and its settings access.
Cost components
The cost of Starlink for a mine is not just the kit. When building the budget, include:
- Starlink hardware for the chosen kit type.
- Mounts, poles, cables, and installation materials.
- Site network: routers, switches, access points, radio links or fiber.
- Power system: UPS, solar panels, batteries, and an inverter if needed.
- Survey, installation, and team mobilization to the site.
- The monthly Starlink subscription for the chosen plan.
- Scheduled maintenance and spare parts.
Checklist before the survey
- Site coordinates or map and the list of buildings that need internet.
- Estimated users and devices per building.
- Applications that must run: reports, fleet, CCTV, attendance.
- Generator schedule and available power sources.
- The on-site contact person and area access rules.
With this information, the survey can go straight to a network design and a realistic budget. See Sentra's Starlink for Business service for kit options and how we work.
Tell us about the process. We'll help map out the most proportionate approach.
