The 'incredible' device taking over campsites, caravans, 4WDs and cars

While most of us just want to find time to switch off, it's never been so easy to stay connected. Even if you're backpacking, caravanning or camping in the remote Australian bush. And it just got even easier.

Elon Musk's Starlink company, which provides internet connectivity via constellations of low-Earth orbit satellites has released a smaller, more portable satellite dish option. Designed to fit inside a backpack, it gives travellers, adventurers and those who want to work off the grid the ability to harness super fast internet.

Since the company enabled users to take their satellite dish on a roaming plan, the devices have been slowly taking over campsites around the country. The more portable option (about 30cms x 26cms) could well supercharge that trend.

Among those who have embraced Starlink to work on the road is avid outdoorsman Tristan Brodeur. His job in IT as a support manager at a bank requires him to be on call — and this week he did that from a secret campsite only accessible by boat.

"It has been a game-changer for me and being able to escape to the places I love to be. My job requires an on-call schedule and sometimes that schedule cuts into my camping adventures," he told Yahoo News this week from his remote worksite at a nature reserve in Maine, US.

"I’ll likely add a Starlink Mini to the mix soon as well. Might be a game changer for backpacking trips," he said.

Do you have a story about taking work on the road? We'd love to hear it: Nick.whigham@yahooinc.com

The Mini device launched in Australia this month and Ty Fenwick has already taken it out for a spin in the Aussie outback. He has a self-described "passion for everything off-road" and customises his 4WD and caravan to travel and work in remote parts of the country, or as he puts it: "the most unforgiving environment on earth".

In a YouTube video this week, he showcased his first use of the Mini dish, recording download speeds of 163 Mbps immediately after powering it on.

"I think I'm one of the first people in Australia to actually receive the Starlink Mini," he said, explaining why he is so excited for the increased portability of the fast internet device.

"If I'm on a plane, I can take it with me and know I'm going to have good internet wherever I go."

Starlink Mini 'a game changer', users say

Speaking to Yahoo News, he said it will prove useful while caravanning with his family as well as working on remote jobs.

"With its small portability aspect, I can switch it from whatever machine (or vehicle) I’m using that day. Plus the ability to run it off USBC is amazing," he said.

"The Mini unit will completely change my ability as an earthmoving contractor to be connected on all sorts of jobs."

At $799 for the dish and monthly unlimited data costs of $174, it's certainly not cheap. But for Fenwick, it's a no brainer. "When you’re in business you value time over money, so the price per month isn’t an issue," he said. "As for other options, I don’t believe there is any."

Online, enthusiastic users in the US have been sharing their experience modifying their cars to fix the dish onto their sunroof, while others have tried taking it on their boat or even a cruise ship. One user even posted about using it while flying on a small, single-person plane.

Others say it's allowed them to work at remote campsites with little reliable mobile coverage.

"Kids love this campsite but the WiFi is crap and the cellular is saturated which means no internet — big problem for me when I need to work," one user wrote online last week, alongside a photo of the dish sitting poolside.

"Starlink Mini is a game changer — incredible product."

Aussies taking work and life off the beaten path

The rise of Starlink (as well as a potential rival by Amazon coming to market in the future) has gone hand-in-hand with rising 4WD sales in Australia.

The ability for more people to work from home has also coincided with the swelling online presence of influencers who promote #VanLife and share tips about how to create a life on the road with constant connectivity.

Aussie couple Dan and Amanda were among the very first adopters of Starlink, even before the service was activated in much of the country. They spent more than two years travelling around Australia in their caravan and run an online business while on the road.

"It's definitely happening," Amanda previously told Yahoo News. "Caravan sites are much busier than when we first started at the end of 2019. We saw the progression of how many families are on the road."

"For anyone who wants to do home schooling, anyone who wants to go on the road and run their business ... it's the best solution," Amanda said.

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