Britain’s most remote island community is getting a hybrid 5G network
Key Points
- Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland's only inhabited offshore island and home to around 170 permanent residents, will receive a hybrid satellite and 5G network through a project called RathlinConnex, led by Excelerate Technology with Eutelsat and Livewire Digital and funded by the European Space Agency.
- The system bonds OneWeb low earth orbit satellites, geostationary satellite services, private 5G and terrestrial cellular into a single intelligent platform, delivering reliable broadband to a community that has long faced weather dependent transport and chronic digital exclusion.
- The new connectivity will enable telemedicine for an island with no resident GP, and will make veterinary telemedicine viable for the first time on an island with no on site vet, supporting farmers, crofters and pet owners who currently arrange costly off island visits.
- At the technical core sits Excelerate's Hybrid Edge appliance running Livewire's RazorLink software, which intelligently bonds satellite and terrestrial networks to deliver optimised 5G backhaul, with a single instance covering the 170 residents and the architecture designed to scale for peaks of up to 20,000 visitors.
- RathlinConnex is intended as a real world demonstrator and blueprint for hybrid satellite cellular connectivity in remote regions across the UK and internationally, validating the platform for emergency services, community broadband, IoT telemetry and small business operations.
Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland’s only inhabited offshore island and home to around 170 permanent residents, will receive a hybrid satellite and 5G network under a new project called RathlinConnex.
The project is being led by UK firm Excelerate Technology with Eutelsat and Livewire Digital, and is backed by European Space Agency funding through its Space for 5G/6G and Sustainable Connectivity programme.
The system bonds OneWeb low earth orbit satellites, geostationary satellite services, private 5G and terrestrial cellular into a single intelligent platform, delivering reliable broadband to a community that has long faced weather-dependent transport, limited terrestrial infrastructure and chronic digital exclusion.
The deployment will install fixed infrastructure on the island, providing baseline coverage for residents, small businesses, essential services and community facilities, with capacity to support Internet of Things telemetry for environmental monitoring and remote diagnostics.
A single instance of the system will comfortably support the 170 permanent residents, and the architecture is designed to scale with additional nodes or temporary capacity if peak tourist demand of up to 20,000 visitors a year requires it.
Telemedicine for an island with no GP
Rathlin currently has no resident GP, meaning routine medical consultations require a ferry journey to the mainland that can be delayed or cancelled in poor weather.
The new connectivity will enable telemedicine, giving islanders faster access to healthcare professionals and reducing travel for vulnerable residents.
The island also has no on-island veterinary service, forcing farmers, crofters and pet owners to arrange costly off-island visits for basic assessments.
High-quality video links will make veterinary telemedicine viable for the first time, supporting remote diagnosis, triage and real-time eyes on assessment for the island’s agricultural and wildlife-focused community.
How the technology works
At the heart of the system sits Excelerate’s Hybrid Edge appliance running Livewire’s RazorLink software, which intelligently bonds satellite and terrestrial wide area network services to deliver optimised 5G cellular backhaul and internet breakout.
Edge compute, IoT integration and remote management tools are built in, allowing the platform to maintain continuous service in environments with minimal or unreliable infrastructure.
| Component | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| OneWeb LEO satellite | Low latency broadband backhaul | Eutelsat operated constellation |
| GEO satellite | Resilient secondary path | Provides failover capacity |
| Private 5G | Local high speed coverage | Delivered on island |
| Terrestrial cellular | Mainland network integration | Bonded with satellite paths |
| Hybrid Edge appliance | Intelligent traffic management | Runs RazorLink software |
“We are extremely proud to lead the consortium, bringing together world‑class expertise to deliver a truly transformative connectivity solution for the UK,” said Bethan Evans, Chief Operating Officer at Excelerate Technology.
“RathlinConnex is about more than technology – it is about ensuring that remote communities have the same digital opportunities as everywhere else. This project represents a major step forward in closing the digital divide for island residents who have historically been underserved.”
A blueprint for rural connectivity
RathlinConnex is intended to serve as a real world demonstrator for hybrid satellite cellular connectivity in remote regions, providing a blueprint for similar deployments across the UK and internationally.
The project will validate the system’s ability to deliver uninterrupted internet and IP services in areas with little to no existing infrastructure, seamlessly integrate OneWeb LEO, GEO and terrestrial cellular, support emergency services and community broadband, enable long-term remote management and provide a scalable, environmentally sensitive model for rural and island connectivity.
Installation will be carried out in close consultation with the Rathlin community to ensure minimal environmental impact, the consortium said.
